Hello and Happy Wednesday!
Today's quote is brought to you by Louis Riel:
Deeds are not accomplished in a few days, or in a few hours. A century is only a spoke in the wheel of everlasting time.
There'll be a new interview on Saturday so be sure to check back!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Vincent Enlund/VikingJack
Hello and Happy Saturday!
Thank you to Modern Girl for her interview of last week! Another excellent read!
Thanks Modern Girl for sharing with all of us!
Today we have a new interview so please welcome Vincent Enlund/VikingJack. Vincent is an Asatru and I know you'll enjoy his interview as well!
Here Is Vincent Enlund/VikingJack's Introduction:
My name is Vincent Enlund, on line I am generally known as VikingJack. I’m 38 years old married with 2 wonderful kids. I am the Chieftain of the Wanderer Kindred of Arizona (a local Asatru Kindred in Arizona), Chieftain of the Asatru Alliance (one of the oldest, recognized National and International 501-c3 originations in the world), I’m affiliated with the Swedish Asatru Society, and associated with many other local, national and international Kindreds.
I have been Asatru for more then 20 years (since 1989). My wife and I are very active in the Asatru community. We founded the Wanderer Kindred of Arizona (www.wandererkindred.org) around 2000. I have been active with the Asatru Alliance for about 13 years, and working with other national and international organizations and independent kindreds for more then 5 years.
1 - What religion do you practice?
Asatru. Long before Christianity came to northern Europe, the people there - our ancestors - had their own religions. The modern expression of these is Asatru. It was practiced in the lands that are today Scandinavia, England, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and other countries as well. Asatru is the original or native religious belief for the peoples who lived in these regions. roughly, Asatru means “belief in the Gods” in Old Norse, the language of ancient Scandinavia in which so much of our source material was written.
2 - Are you a convert/revert or were you raised within this religion? If you converted, what did you need to do to convert? And what did you practice prior to converting?
Revert.
I made my first personal Profession to Asatru, while camping in the mountains of the Black Hills of South Dakota, on May 1st 1989. So I have been Asatru for about 20 years.
3 - Within your religion are there degrees of observance (i.e.. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
No, Not really. Asatru folks express their beliefs in their daily lives as much or as little as they see fit or comfortable with.
4 - Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((i.e.. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
I live the Ideas of Asatru and my ancestral practices every day of my life, just like my ancestors did. I don't know what degree that qualifies me as.
5 - What is the Afterlife within your religion? For example: what happens when a person dies? Are there places for reward/punishment? (such as a Heaven/Hell concept)
We believe that there is an afterlife, and that those who have lived virtuous lives will go on to experience greater fulfillment, pleasure, and challenge. Those who have led lives characterized more by vice than by virtue will be separated from kin and doomed to an existence of dullness and gloom. The precise nature of the afterlife - what it will look like and feel like - is beyond our understanding and is dealt with symbolically in the myths.
We of Asatru do not overly concern ourselves with the next life. We live here and now, in this life. If we do this and do it well, the next life will take care of itself.
6 - In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
No. First we do not necessarily believe in a type of paradise in the next world. Secondly we believe that the value and worth put on you by the Gods, Goddesses and your ancestors is directly related to your deeds and actions within the community of the life that you lead right now. IE: If you are a negative, chaotic and poor quality of person within the community of the life that you live right now not only will there be consequences in this life but there will be in the next as well.
7 - What makes your religion a good fit for you?
I felt no connection or truth in any other religious faith. I felt a great calling back to the traditions and old beliefs of my ancestors and European culture. I had a desire to truly live by a way that was a part of my life and family and not just what someone in authority told me I was supposed to be like, because everyone else is that way too.
8 - What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
We have many day of remembrance and Holidays throughout the year but only 4 true Holy Days per-say. Midsummer, Midwinter, and the spring and fall equinox. Most people celebrate these days with a Blot, a Feast and a Sumble, and many also have personal traditions and ancestral customs that they add to these celebrations as well such as Folks wrestling, Dance, music, poetry, etc…
The Blot is a common ritual within Asatru. In its simplest form a blot is making a sacrifice to the Gods. In the old days this was done by feasting on an animal consecrated to the Gods and then slaughtered. As we are no longer farmers and our needs are simpler today, the most common blot is an offering of mead or other alcoholic beverage to the deities.
One of the most common celebrations noted in tales of our ancestors is the Sumbel or ritual drinking celebration. This was a more mundane and social sort of ritual than the blot, but of no less importance. When Beowulf came to Hrothgar, the first thing they did was to drink at a ritual sumbel. This was a way of establishing Beowulf’s identity and what his intent was, and doing so in a sacred and traditional manner.
9 - Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Sure, why wouldn't I?
10 - Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
I might. It would depend on the religion and the holy day in question.
11 - What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I think its foolish, Chauvinistic mumbo jumbo. But who am I to judge the personal beliefs of others. If it makes them happy then happy day for them and if not then they should change it.
12 - Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Yes. I think that it's a great thing. Our ancestors had a great respect for women as it should be. There are historical examples of germanic women Chieftains, war lords, priestess, there where powerful women in every aspect of leadership. Why should that change today
13 - Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
Yes. If you are a complete social degenerate I do not what to share my personal weird with you, and I don't want you sharing yours with me and the friends and family that I honor every day. If you have no European ancestry, why would want to venerate others peoples European ancestors rather then those of your own. Now, if you mean do we segregate by skin color or sex, then no we don't. I feel just fine about it.
14 - How much does your religion affect your daily life and how much thought do you give it when making a decision? Does it affect in any way your decision on abortion, gay marriage, etc?
Everyones religion affects all of their daily designs in life. If it doesn't then its not really their religion.
Being Asatru affects everything in my daily life. Being Asatru is not about doing something on Sunday or special holidays. Asatru is how you live, behave and interact with your community and other people all of the time. If you are only honorable to other Asatru folk then you're not really honorable. If you are only hospitable in you free time then you are not really hospitable. If you are only industrious at work then your not really industrious.
Please keep in mind that we have no expectations for folks to be the best all of the time, after all we are all only human. All of our ancestors where just as flawed as we are today, and as our children will be tomorrow. We however do expect Asatru folk to live the way we say we are going to live and to treat people in our community appropriately no matter who they are. If you insult me, I will demand an apology whether you're Asatru or not. If you give me a gift I will gift one back to you whether you are Asatru or not, and so on and so forth.
We are Asatru because we choose to live that way not because we read a certain book or go to a certain building on the weekends.
15 - How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
As long as she was marrying someone that I thought loved her, would treat her correctly, and that they would be happy together. I would be fine with it.
16 - In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
Maybe, they will go wherever they go. Ours is not the only way. Nor are our Gods and Goddesses the only Gods. They are simply our Gods for us. Others may have theirs and their Gods may have a place for them, that would be between them and their God or Gods.
17 - Who do you think is not a practicing ----- in your religion and why? i.e. who in the public domain claims to speak for your religion? Do you agree with them or not?
Raven Caldera and his followers as well the Nazi folks that like to say that they are Asatru. These are extremists that claim to be representing Asatru and the old ancestral ways but all that they are doing is using our ancestry to justify their personal extreme political views through false information and misleading propaganda.
18 - Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
Not that I am aware of.
19 - Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No. Just the opposite. My beliefs give me Value, Glory, and a namesake that will hopefully live past my age, and provide pride to my children and grand-children.
20 - Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Yes
21 - Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Some do. There is a tradition in Asatru of rebirth within the family line. Perhaps the individual is able to choose whether or not he or she is re-manifested in this world, or there may be natural laws which govern this. In a sense, of course, we all live on in our descendants quite apart from an afterlife as such.
If you are interested, I get asked for interviews on a fairly regular basis. I have included in this email some of the better questions that I have been asked over the last year. Feel free to include any of them if you like.
3 - What made you pick the Asatru faith?
I felt no connection or truth in any other religious faith. I felt a great calling back to the traditions and old beliefs of my ancestors and European culture. I had a desire to truly live by a way that was a part of my life and family and not just what someone in authority told me I was supposed to be like, because everyone else is that way too.
4 - What is your favorite Asatru aspect?
Ceremony. When we get together for holidays and ceremonies, they are times of reverence and celebration. We spend our time as a community celebrating all that we have, all that we have learned, the great things we have done and that have been done by our friends and family. We celebrate life and all that comes with it. We celebrate heroes, stories and songs. We celebrate in each other and ourselves.
We do not waste time with prayers of how much life sucks or how not worthy we are. We do not waste time with asking for mercy or praying for a better world under Gods guidance. We do not waste our time begging for forgiveness for being Human.
6 - Where is Asatru practiced?
Generally speaking usually outside, if you are talking about ceremony. But there is no solid rule saying it has to be outside, we just know that it was common for our ancestors to worship out among nature and the spirits of nature so we try to when we can as well. If you are talking about life in general Asatru is practiced in the way we live every day of our lives, and how we interact with other people, the environment and the community at large around us.
7 - What types of people belong to the Asatru culture?
Every kind you can imagine. I know Asatru doctors, lawyers, philosophers, teachers, writers, academics, auto mechanics, engineers, computer programers, graphic designers, road builders and every other profession and life position that you can think of.
8 - What are some common symbols in the culture? (ex. Mjolnir)
Mjollnir (Thors Hammer), Irminsul, The Valknut, The Sun Shield (Sun Wheel or Odins Cross), Aegishjalmr, The Gjallarhorn, any of the Elder Futhark Runes.
9 - What are the common languages associated with Asatru?
German, Icelandic, Norwegian, Danish, Russian, Finnish, Swedish, Irish, Scottish, Gaelic, Dutch, Ukrainian, Serbian and other common Scandinavian and Slavic Languages.
10 - Describe some morally significant expectations within Asatru. (taboos or codes of behavior)
The NNV (the Nine Noble Virtues) is a set of ethical codes used by many Modern Asatru. There are also the 12 traits that are discussed heavily by the AFA (the Asatru Folk Assembly), and some Asatru prefer to draw their code of conducts directly from the historical guideline set by the Sagas of our Ancestors. I like the NNV because whichever way you choose to look at our ancestral code of behavior you will find these nine virtues highest among them, and they are easy for a new comer to Asatru to remember and practice.
These are some very simple explanations of the NNV that I read to myself, as a reminder, every day. There is a much more defined version on my website that I like to share with people to try to let them understand the NNV completely as they are important to me.
Courage
By facing Life’s struggles with courage, we constantly extend our capabilities. Without courage, nothing else can be done!
Truth
Blind faith has no place in Life. No pie-in-the-sky; we must act in this world as we see it and as it really is rather than calmly waiting for the next good thing that may happen upon us.
Honor
We must be true to what we are, and we insist on acting with nobility rather than baseness. Our standards must be banners held high in our hearts.
Fidelity
We stand true to our faith and our values. Loyalty is the basis for all enduring human activity, and we hold it in the highest esteem.
Hospitality
The isolation and loneliness of modern life is not necessary. The willingness to share what one has with ones' fellows, especially travelers, is a vital part of our way of life.
Discipline
We hold to the discipline necessary to fulfill our purpose. We stand willing to exercise the self-control and steadfastness necessary in difficult times.
Industriousness
Let us dare to be all that we can be! Let us take risks and taste the richness of life. Passivity is for sheep. We refuse to be mere spectators in life.
Self-Reliance
We depend on our own strength and character to achieve our goals. We seek only the freedom necessary to our quest, whatever it may be.
Perseverance
We hold to our path until its completion and are not ashamed to be strong. The cult of the anti-hero will find no support in us. A true life is not for the weak of spirit.
11 - Describe some of the ways people in this culture are expected to act. (appropriate greetings, proper dress for special events)
Some people will take older greeting and use them as a means of great other Asafolk as a sign of kinship, such as Hail, Hailsa and Wassail just to name a few. But generally speaking any greeting made in hospitality is an appropriate one. When it comes to special events there are a few things to keep in mind. You'll often see people dressed in archaic clothing styles at Asatru gatherings. This is a point of preference for them, and anyone is welcome to do so, too, if they wish. Wearing such clothing does not make you more Asatru just as not wearing such does not make you any less Asatru either. The clothes most wear are the same clothes that we wear every day, The Gods and Goddesses know what year it is. Also, there is the question of how much clothing is enough. Unlike some other pagan traditions, ritual nudity is not found at most Asatru rites, and is extremely uncommon even at very private ones. You may sometimes see a lot of skin, but participants are generally expected to be dressed in a street-legal fashion and family appropriate settings.
Asatru often leave gifts for the land-spirits of the places they visit. Gifts can be amounts of food or a beverage, maybe cookies, cake or even on rare occasions a little silver or amber is sometimes left. Most put some effort into making their gift such that it will not be seen as litter if it is discovered by other people.
12 - Are there any artifacts or technology unique to Asatru?
Here are a few things that I contribute to my heathen ancestors:
Trial by jury (dates back at least to the Vikings and Heathen tribes across Europe in the Viking Era)
Right to bear arms (carried by all freemen across Europe before and even after Christianity came to Europe)
Rights of women (declined drastically after Christianity moved to Europe)
Local democracy (local assemblies, or Things all over Europe)
National representative republics (Iceland)
Anglo-Saxon Common Law (the “rights of Englishmen” carried into Christian laws from earlier Heathen customs)
System of “checks and balances” (structure of Germanic tribes included equivalent of an executive, a judicial, and a legislative branch)
Kings subject to law (common in pre-Christian times, before “divine right”)
Election of rulers (practiced by many Celtic and germanic tribes)
Resistance to tyrants (required under law in some ancient European cases)
Concept of free will (implied by Germanic concepts of time and causality)
Specific limits on the powers of kings and chiefs (by law dating back to at least the tribes of Gaul 1000 BC Europe)
It can be argued that the pre-Christian Germanic and Celtic heritage of Asatru ancestry has been increasingly undermined with the passage of time and the growth of the power of government at the expense of our individual freedoms and rights.
Freedom balanced with responsibility and accountability is an Asatru thing.
13 - How do you guys worship, what is your worship like?
Most of the time "worship" is done in the form of Blot or Sumble with our ceremonies, generally, performed outside, as a group. There is usually a Gothar (a spiritual leader, kind of like a priest) leading the ceremony, where a group of Asafolk share (one at a time) thanks, great deeds, poems, songs and anything of praise and worth with the gods and each other. Very simply put it looks kind of like people giving toasts at a wedding only without the bride and groom.
This is only one common way of worship, there are many others as simple and as complex. Everything from a detailed Blot to those of us that just sit in the rain and talk to Thor.
14 - What are the main beliefs, or teachings of Asatru?
We believe in a standard of behavior which is consistent with those of our ancestors as expressed in our historical documentation, our Gods and Goddesses as expressed in our ancient mythology and our Culture as expressed in our living culture as well as the experiences of our histories, families and lives.
Being Asatru is about how you treat other people and the world around you. Being Asatru is about correct behavior.
15 - Are there any terms, objects, people I should know about?
Gothar - is plural of Gothi (male) or Gythia (female) - The Gothar are the collective priesthood of the Asatru Community.
Blot - Asatru Ceremony of sharing spiritual and physical gifts both to and from the Gods and Goddesses.
Sumble - Asatru Ceremony of sharing community luck and goodwill with each other and the Gods and Goddesses.
Wyrd - Hard one to explain so we will go with your community, Luck and Fortune as affected by you and the people closest to you.
Asier - Half of the old Gods. The Gods of Asgard. Such as Odin, Thor and Frigga. These where gods primarily associated with human action and achievement.
Vanir - The Second half of the Gods. The Gods of Vanihiem. Such as Freya, Freyr and Hiemdal. These where Gods primarily associated with the Earth and weather.
Desire - Our general ancestors that still watch over us.
Isineir - Our Female ancestors that still look after us.
Land Vetor - Spirits of the land and community that we live and work in.
Byfrost - The rainbow bridge between Midgard (Earth) and Asagard (the home of the Gods).
Mjollnir - The great hammer of Thor used to protect both Midgard and Asagrad. The symbol worn by most Asatru as a sign of their loyalty to the old ways and Gods.
Yggdrasil - The tree that connects all of the 9 world and all of the different people of each of them to each other.
16 - What are some misconceptions (if any?) that you would want to be cleared up? or something special that you would like other people to know about Asatru?
OK here are some good ones.
Followers of Asatru are white supremacists.
No we are not. Just because some Neo-Nazi's wear a hammer and say they believe in the old ways does not mean that they are Asatru. Asatru has nothing to do with Hate, racial supremacy or political agendas. As a matter of fact our germanic ancestors were some of the most racially tolerant people in world both trading and raiding cities, towns and countries completely equally.
Asatru is for Vikings.
Vikings were not a people but rather an action done by many of the Slovak and Scandinavian tribes. Asatru is the modern expression of the cultures and practices of the indigenous peoples of Europe. That does include people that were "Vikings" and their traditions but it also includes a lot of other peoples as well.
Asatru, Wicca and Neo-Pagans are all the same.
No we are not. There are some Neo-Pagans and Wiccas that do include some of the northern european Gods and Goddesses into their worship but they also include variations of Egyptian and Greek Gods as well as more modern Occult figures as well. Most Wiccas and Neo-Pagans pick and choose from gods, goddesses and traditions like it's a giant religious buffet. Asatru does not.
Most Asatru have done extensive research and will continue to do research their whole lives. Asatru are True to the gods and goddesses of our European Folk, and the traditions that go along with that fellowship. Also there is an extensive connection and loyalty to family and community within Asatru that, many times, does not exists in most Pagan and Wiccan sectors on a whole.
18 - Does Asatru have any holy scriptures?
No. There are written sources which are useful because they contain much of our lore and history in the form of myths, stories, historical accounts and examples of right conduct, but we do not accept them as infallible or dogmatic.
There are some good sources for our ancestral history and our ancestors heathen practices and lives. The Saga of the Volsong, The Volsunga, The Havamal, The Poetic Eddas, The Pros Eddas, Beowulf, The Sagas of the Icelanders, The Greenlanders Sagas, The Vinland Sagas, The Irish Chronicles and The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles. These are all good places to start to learn, but the truth of being Asatru comes from understanding the world around us and how we interact with.
20 - What is Asatru or Heathenries, specific World View.
Asatru (or Heathenry) is a world accepting pre-Christian, European folkway in which we better ourselves through a connected progression of Right Relationships among our Region, Folk, and Soil. We maintain this with our innangardhs by gifting relationships within our Regions, through which luck can flow and we can build a stronger more valued standing for ourselves within our personal communities.
We see the world in the Right Now as world accepting. We do not focus on an ultimate union with our gods, but in what is tangible and directly related to us, such as; ancestor veneration, and building and maintaining a relationship with the spirits of the land. We see the world in present and past tense, in a clan or tribal like model.
Thank you to Modern Girl for her interview of last week! Another excellent read!
Thanks Modern Girl for sharing with all of us!
Today we have a new interview so please welcome Vincent Enlund/VikingJack. Vincent is an Asatru and I know you'll enjoy his interview as well!
Here Is Vincent Enlund/VikingJack's Introduction:
My name is Vincent Enlund, on line I am generally known as VikingJack. I’m 38 years old married with 2 wonderful kids. I am the Chieftain of the Wanderer Kindred of Arizona (a local Asatru Kindred in Arizona), Chieftain of the Asatru Alliance (one of the oldest, recognized National and International 501-c3 originations in the world), I’m affiliated with the Swedish Asatru Society, and associated with many other local, national and international Kindreds.
I have been Asatru for more then 20 years (since 1989). My wife and I are very active in the Asatru community. We founded the Wanderer Kindred of Arizona (www.wandererkindred.org) around 2000. I have been active with the Asatru Alliance for about 13 years, and working with other national and international organizations and independent kindreds for more then 5 years.
1 - What religion do you practice?
Asatru. Long before Christianity came to northern Europe, the people there - our ancestors - had their own religions. The modern expression of these is Asatru. It was practiced in the lands that are today Scandinavia, England, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and other countries as well. Asatru is the original or native religious belief for the peoples who lived in these regions. roughly, Asatru means “belief in the Gods” in Old Norse, the language of ancient Scandinavia in which so much of our source material was written.
2 - Are you a convert/revert or were you raised within this religion? If you converted, what did you need to do to convert? And what did you practice prior to converting?
Revert.
I made my first personal Profession to Asatru, while camping in the mountains of the Black Hills of South Dakota, on May 1st 1989. So I have been Asatru for about 20 years.
3 - Within your religion are there degrees of observance (i.e.. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
No, Not really. Asatru folks express their beliefs in their daily lives as much or as little as they see fit or comfortable with.
4 - Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((i.e.. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
I live the Ideas of Asatru and my ancestral practices every day of my life, just like my ancestors did. I don't know what degree that qualifies me as.
5 - What is the Afterlife within your religion? For example: what happens when a person dies? Are there places for reward/punishment? (such as a Heaven/Hell concept)
We believe that there is an afterlife, and that those who have lived virtuous lives will go on to experience greater fulfillment, pleasure, and challenge. Those who have led lives characterized more by vice than by virtue will be separated from kin and doomed to an existence of dullness and gloom. The precise nature of the afterlife - what it will look like and feel like - is beyond our understanding and is dealt with symbolically in the myths.
We of Asatru do not overly concern ourselves with the next life. We live here and now, in this life. If we do this and do it well, the next life will take care of itself.
6 - In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
No. First we do not necessarily believe in a type of paradise in the next world. Secondly we believe that the value and worth put on you by the Gods, Goddesses and your ancestors is directly related to your deeds and actions within the community of the life that you lead right now. IE: If you are a negative, chaotic and poor quality of person within the community of the life that you live right now not only will there be consequences in this life but there will be in the next as well.
7 - What makes your religion a good fit for you?
I felt no connection or truth in any other religious faith. I felt a great calling back to the traditions and old beliefs of my ancestors and European culture. I had a desire to truly live by a way that was a part of my life and family and not just what someone in authority told me I was supposed to be like, because everyone else is that way too.
8 - What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
We have many day of remembrance and Holidays throughout the year but only 4 true Holy Days per-say. Midsummer, Midwinter, and the spring and fall equinox. Most people celebrate these days with a Blot, a Feast and a Sumble, and many also have personal traditions and ancestral customs that they add to these celebrations as well such as Folks wrestling, Dance, music, poetry, etc…
The Blot is a common ritual within Asatru. In its simplest form a blot is making a sacrifice to the Gods. In the old days this was done by feasting on an animal consecrated to the Gods and then slaughtered. As we are no longer farmers and our needs are simpler today, the most common blot is an offering of mead or other alcoholic beverage to the deities.
One of the most common celebrations noted in tales of our ancestors is the Sumbel or ritual drinking celebration. This was a more mundane and social sort of ritual than the blot, but of no less importance. When Beowulf came to Hrothgar, the first thing they did was to drink at a ritual sumbel. This was a way of establishing Beowulf’s identity and what his intent was, and doing so in a sacred and traditional manner.
9 - Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Sure, why wouldn't I?
10 - Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
I might. It would depend on the religion and the holy day in question.
11 - What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I think its foolish, Chauvinistic mumbo jumbo. But who am I to judge the personal beliefs of others. If it makes them happy then happy day for them and if not then they should change it.
12 - Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Yes. I think that it's a great thing. Our ancestors had a great respect for women as it should be. There are historical examples of germanic women Chieftains, war lords, priestess, there where powerful women in every aspect of leadership. Why should that change today
13 - Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
Yes. If you are a complete social degenerate I do not what to share my personal weird with you, and I don't want you sharing yours with me and the friends and family that I honor every day. If you have no European ancestry, why would want to venerate others peoples European ancestors rather then those of your own. Now, if you mean do we segregate by skin color or sex, then no we don't. I feel just fine about it.
14 - How much does your religion affect your daily life and how much thought do you give it when making a decision? Does it affect in any way your decision on abortion, gay marriage, etc?
Everyones religion affects all of their daily designs in life. If it doesn't then its not really their religion.
Being Asatru affects everything in my daily life. Being Asatru is not about doing something on Sunday or special holidays. Asatru is how you live, behave and interact with your community and other people all of the time. If you are only honorable to other Asatru folk then you're not really honorable. If you are only hospitable in you free time then you are not really hospitable. If you are only industrious at work then your not really industrious.
Please keep in mind that we have no expectations for folks to be the best all of the time, after all we are all only human. All of our ancestors where just as flawed as we are today, and as our children will be tomorrow. We however do expect Asatru folk to live the way we say we are going to live and to treat people in our community appropriately no matter who they are. If you insult me, I will demand an apology whether you're Asatru or not. If you give me a gift I will gift one back to you whether you are Asatru or not, and so on and so forth.
We are Asatru because we choose to live that way not because we read a certain book or go to a certain building on the weekends.
15 - How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
As long as she was marrying someone that I thought loved her, would treat her correctly, and that they would be happy together. I would be fine with it.
16 - In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
Maybe, they will go wherever they go. Ours is not the only way. Nor are our Gods and Goddesses the only Gods. They are simply our Gods for us. Others may have theirs and their Gods may have a place for them, that would be between them and their God or Gods.
17 - Who do you think is not a practicing ----- in your religion and why? i.e. who in the public domain claims to speak for your religion? Do you agree with them or not?
Raven Caldera and his followers as well the Nazi folks that like to say that they are Asatru. These are extremists that claim to be representing Asatru and the old ancestral ways but all that they are doing is using our ancestry to justify their personal extreme political views through false information and misleading propaganda.
18 - Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
Not that I am aware of.
19 - Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No. Just the opposite. My beliefs give me Value, Glory, and a namesake that will hopefully live past my age, and provide pride to my children and grand-children.
20 - Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Yes
21 - Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Some do. There is a tradition in Asatru of rebirth within the family line. Perhaps the individual is able to choose whether or not he or she is re-manifested in this world, or there may be natural laws which govern this. In a sense, of course, we all live on in our descendants quite apart from an afterlife as such.
If you are interested, I get asked for interviews on a fairly regular basis. I have included in this email some of the better questions that I have been asked over the last year. Feel free to include any of them if you like.
3 - What made you pick the Asatru faith?
I felt no connection or truth in any other religious faith. I felt a great calling back to the traditions and old beliefs of my ancestors and European culture. I had a desire to truly live by a way that was a part of my life and family and not just what someone in authority told me I was supposed to be like, because everyone else is that way too.
4 - What is your favorite Asatru aspect?
Ceremony. When we get together for holidays and ceremonies, they are times of reverence and celebration. We spend our time as a community celebrating all that we have, all that we have learned, the great things we have done and that have been done by our friends and family. We celebrate life and all that comes with it. We celebrate heroes, stories and songs. We celebrate in each other and ourselves.
We do not waste time with prayers of how much life sucks or how not worthy we are. We do not waste time with asking for mercy or praying for a better world under Gods guidance. We do not waste our time begging for forgiveness for being Human.
6 - Where is Asatru practiced?
Generally speaking usually outside, if you are talking about ceremony. But there is no solid rule saying it has to be outside, we just know that it was common for our ancestors to worship out among nature and the spirits of nature so we try to when we can as well. If you are talking about life in general Asatru is practiced in the way we live every day of our lives, and how we interact with other people, the environment and the community at large around us.
7 - What types of people belong to the Asatru culture?
Every kind you can imagine. I know Asatru doctors, lawyers, philosophers, teachers, writers, academics, auto mechanics, engineers, computer programers, graphic designers, road builders and every other profession and life position that you can think of.
8 - What are some common symbols in the culture? (ex. Mjolnir)
Mjollnir (Thors Hammer), Irminsul, The Valknut, The Sun Shield (Sun Wheel or Odins Cross), Aegishjalmr, The Gjallarhorn, any of the Elder Futhark Runes.
9 - What are the common languages associated with Asatru?
German, Icelandic, Norwegian, Danish, Russian, Finnish, Swedish, Irish, Scottish, Gaelic, Dutch, Ukrainian, Serbian and other common Scandinavian and Slavic Languages.
10 - Describe some morally significant expectations within Asatru. (taboos or codes of behavior)
The NNV (the Nine Noble Virtues) is a set of ethical codes used by many Modern Asatru. There are also the 12 traits that are discussed heavily by the AFA (the Asatru Folk Assembly), and some Asatru prefer to draw their code of conducts directly from the historical guideline set by the Sagas of our Ancestors. I like the NNV because whichever way you choose to look at our ancestral code of behavior you will find these nine virtues highest among them, and they are easy for a new comer to Asatru to remember and practice.
These are some very simple explanations of the NNV that I read to myself, as a reminder, every day. There is a much more defined version on my website that I like to share with people to try to let them understand the NNV completely as they are important to me.
Courage
By facing Life’s struggles with courage, we constantly extend our capabilities. Without courage, nothing else can be done!
Truth
Blind faith has no place in Life. No pie-in-the-sky; we must act in this world as we see it and as it really is rather than calmly waiting for the next good thing that may happen upon us.
Honor
We must be true to what we are, and we insist on acting with nobility rather than baseness. Our standards must be banners held high in our hearts.
Fidelity
We stand true to our faith and our values. Loyalty is the basis for all enduring human activity, and we hold it in the highest esteem.
Hospitality
The isolation and loneliness of modern life is not necessary. The willingness to share what one has with ones' fellows, especially travelers, is a vital part of our way of life.
Discipline
We hold to the discipline necessary to fulfill our purpose. We stand willing to exercise the self-control and steadfastness necessary in difficult times.
Industriousness
Let us dare to be all that we can be! Let us take risks and taste the richness of life. Passivity is for sheep. We refuse to be mere spectators in life.
Self-Reliance
We depend on our own strength and character to achieve our goals. We seek only the freedom necessary to our quest, whatever it may be.
Perseverance
We hold to our path until its completion and are not ashamed to be strong. The cult of the anti-hero will find no support in us. A true life is not for the weak of spirit.
11 - Describe some of the ways people in this culture are expected to act. (appropriate greetings, proper dress for special events)
Some people will take older greeting and use them as a means of great other Asafolk as a sign of kinship, such as Hail, Hailsa and Wassail just to name a few. But generally speaking any greeting made in hospitality is an appropriate one. When it comes to special events there are a few things to keep in mind. You'll often see people dressed in archaic clothing styles at Asatru gatherings. This is a point of preference for them, and anyone is welcome to do so, too, if they wish. Wearing such clothing does not make you more Asatru just as not wearing such does not make you any less Asatru either. The clothes most wear are the same clothes that we wear every day, The Gods and Goddesses know what year it is. Also, there is the question of how much clothing is enough. Unlike some other pagan traditions, ritual nudity is not found at most Asatru rites, and is extremely uncommon even at very private ones. You may sometimes see a lot of skin, but participants are generally expected to be dressed in a street-legal fashion and family appropriate settings.
Asatru often leave gifts for the land-spirits of the places they visit. Gifts can be amounts of food or a beverage, maybe cookies, cake or even on rare occasions a little silver or amber is sometimes left. Most put some effort into making their gift such that it will not be seen as litter if it is discovered by other people.
12 - Are there any artifacts or technology unique to Asatru?
Here are a few things that I contribute to my heathen ancestors:
Trial by jury (dates back at least to the Vikings and Heathen tribes across Europe in the Viking Era)
Right to bear arms (carried by all freemen across Europe before and even after Christianity came to Europe)
Rights of women (declined drastically after Christianity moved to Europe)
Local democracy (local assemblies, or Things all over Europe)
National representative republics (Iceland)
Anglo-Saxon Common Law (the “rights of Englishmen” carried into Christian laws from earlier Heathen customs)
System of “checks and balances” (structure of Germanic tribes included equivalent of an executive, a judicial, and a legislative branch)
Kings subject to law (common in pre-Christian times, before “divine right”)
Election of rulers (practiced by many Celtic and germanic tribes)
Resistance to tyrants (required under law in some ancient European cases)
Concept of free will (implied by Germanic concepts of time and causality)
Specific limits on the powers of kings and chiefs (by law dating back to at least the tribes of Gaul 1000 BC Europe)
It can be argued that the pre-Christian Germanic and Celtic heritage of Asatru ancestry has been increasingly undermined with the passage of time and the growth of the power of government at the expense of our individual freedoms and rights.
Freedom balanced with responsibility and accountability is an Asatru thing.
13 - How do you guys worship, what is your worship like?
Most of the time "worship" is done in the form of Blot or Sumble with our ceremonies, generally, performed outside, as a group. There is usually a Gothar (a spiritual leader, kind of like a priest) leading the ceremony, where a group of Asafolk share (one at a time) thanks, great deeds, poems, songs and anything of praise and worth with the gods and each other. Very simply put it looks kind of like people giving toasts at a wedding only without the bride and groom.
This is only one common way of worship, there are many others as simple and as complex. Everything from a detailed Blot to those of us that just sit in the rain and talk to Thor.
14 - What are the main beliefs, or teachings of Asatru?
We believe in a standard of behavior which is consistent with those of our ancestors as expressed in our historical documentation, our Gods and Goddesses as expressed in our ancient mythology and our Culture as expressed in our living culture as well as the experiences of our histories, families and lives.
Being Asatru is about how you treat other people and the world around you. Being Asatru is about correct behavior.
15 - Are there any terms, objects, people I should know about?
Gothar - is plural of Gothi (male) or Gythia (female) - The Gothar are the collective priesthood of the Asatru Community.
Blot - Asatru Ceremony of sharing spiritual and physical gifts both to and from the Gods and Goddesses.
Sumble - Asatru Ceremony of sharing community luck and goodwill with each other and the Gods and Goddesses.
Wyrd - Hard one to explain so we will go with your community, Luck and Fortune as affected by you and the people closest to you.
Asier - Half of the old Gods. The Gods of Asgard. Such as Odin, Thor and Frigga. These where gods primarily associated with human action and achievement.
Vanir - The Second half of the Gods. The Gods of Vanihiem. Such as Freya, Freyr and Hiemdal. These where Gods primarily associated with the Earth and weather.
Desire - Our general ancestors that still watch over us.
Isineir - Our Female ancestors that still look after us.
Land Vetor - Spirits of the land and community that we live and work in.
Byfrost - The rainbow bridge between Midgard (Earth) and Asagard (the home of the Gods).
Mjollnir - The great hammer of Thor used to protect both Midgard and Asagrad. The symbol worn by most Asatru as a sign of their loyalty to the old ways and Gods.
Yggdrasil - The tree that connects all of the 9 world and all of the different people of each of them to each other.
16 - What are some misconceptions (if any?) that you would want to be cleared up? or something special that you would like other people to know about Asatru?
OK here are some good ones.
Followers of Asatru are white supremacists.
No we are not. Just because some Neo-Nazi's wear a hammer and say they believe in the old ways does not mean that they are Asatru. Asatru has nothing to do with Hate, racial supremacy or political agendas. As a matter of fact our germanic ancestors were some of the most racially tolerant people in world both trading and raiding cities, towns and countries completely equally.
Asatru is for Vikings.
Vikings were not a people but rather an action done by many of the Slovak and Scandinavian tribes. Asatru is the modern expression of the cultures and practices of the indigenous peoples of Europe. That does include people that were "Vikings" and their traditions but it also includes a lot of other peoples as well.
Asatru, Wicca and Neo-Pagans are all the same.
No we are not. There are some Neo-Pagans and Wiccas that do include some of the northern european Gods and Goddesses into their worship but they also include variations of Egyptian and Greek Gods as well as more modern Occult figures as well. Most Wiccas and Neo-Pagans pick and choose from gods, goddesses and traditions like it's a giant religious buffet. Asatru does not.
Most Asatru have done extensive research and will continue to do research their whole lives. Asatru are True to the gods and goddesses of our European Folk, and the traditions that go along with that fellowship. Also there is an extensive connection and loyalty to family and community within Asatru that, many times, does not exists in most Pagan and Wiccan sectors on a whole.
18 - Does Asatru have any holy scriptures?
No. There are written sources which are useful because they contain much of our lore and history in the form of myths, stories, historical accounts and examples of right conduct, but we do not accept them as infallible or dogmatic.
There are some good sources for our ancestral history and our ancestors heathen practices and lives. The Saga of the Volsong, The Volsunga, The Havamal, The Poetic Eddas, The Pros Eddas, Beowulf, The Sagas of the Icelanders, The Greenlanders Sagas, The Vinland Sagas, The Irish Chronicles and The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles. These are all good places to start to learn, but the truth of being Asatru comes from understanding the world around us and how we interact with.
20 - What is Asatru or Heathenries, specific World View.
Asatru (or Heathenry) is a world accepting pre-Christian, European folkway in which we better ourselves through a connected progression of Right Relationships among our Region, Folk, and Soil. We maintain this with our innangardhs by gifting relationships within our Regions, through which luck can flow and we can build a stronger more valued standing for ourselves within our personal communities.
We see the world in the Right Now as world accepting. We do not focus on an ultimate union with our gods, but in what is tangible and directly related to us, such as; ancestor veneration, and building and maintaining a relationship with the spirits of the land. We see the world in present and past tense, in a clan or tribal like model.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Kelsey Grammer Quote
Hello and Happy Thursday!
Today's quote is brought to you by Kelsey Grammer:
Apologizes are pointless, regrets come too late. What matters is you can move, on you can grow.
There's a new interview coming up on Saturday so be sure to check back!
Today's quote is brought to you by Kelsey Grammer:
Apologizes are pointless, regrets come too late. What matters is you can move, on you can grow.
There's a new interview coming up on Saturday so be sure to check back!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Full List
Hello and Happy Tuesday!
Here is the full list of all ymr interviews past, present and future!
Agnostics: 5
Apikoros: 1
Asatru: 1
Atheists/Objectivists: 15
Baha'is: 2
Buddhists: 9
Christians: 16
Druid: 1
Ex-Jehovah's Witness: 1
Feri Witchcraft: 1
Gnostic: 1
Heathen: 1
Hindu: 1
Jewish: 7
Jewitch: 1
Mathematics: 1
Messianic Judaism: 2
Muslims: 10
Mystics: 2
Noahide: 1
Non-denominationals: 3
Pagans/Wiccans: 15
Pantheist: 1
Polytheists: 5
Sikhs: 2
Sufi Darvish: 1
Taoist: 1
Unitarians: 4
Womanist: 1
If you'd like to participate, please email ymr@bell.net. Would love to get your perspective!
Here is the full list of all ymr interviews past, present and future!
Agnostics: 5
Apikoros: 1
Asatru: 1
Atheists/Objectivists: 15
Baha'is: 2
Buddhists: 9
Christians: 16
Druid: 1
Ex-Jehovah's Witness: 1
Feri Witchcraft: 1
Gnostic: 1
Heathen: 1
Hindu: 1
Jewish: 7
Jewitch: 1
Mathematics: 1
Messianic Judaism: 2
Muslims: 10
Mystics: 2
Noahide: 1
Non-denominationals: 3
Pagans/Wiccans: 15
Pantheist: 1
Polytheists: 5
Sikhs: 2
Sufi Darvish: 1
Taoist: 1
Unitarians: 4
Womanist: 1
If you'd like to participate, please email ymr@bell.net. Would love to get your perspective!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Modern Girl
Hello and Happy Saturday!
I wish to thank Larry Tanner for his very interesting interview of last week. Thanks so much for sharing with us all Larry!
Today we have a new interview so please welcome Modern Girl. Modern Girl is a Unitarian Universalist and I know you'll enjoy her interview as well!
Here Is Modern Girl's Introduction:
Modern Girl has a complicated religious path. She was raised by an observant Catholic mother and a non-observant and secular Anglican Dad. Both parents allowed her to explore different religious options, which led her to Neo-Paganism, New Age, Buddhism, Catholicism, Judaism, Agnosticism, Unitarian Universalism, Humanism and more. At the age of 24, she started to blog about her religious experiences and different stances on religion. Now she blogs about many secular, political, and trivial matters as well, but 3 years later, she still loves the religious blogosphere.
Blog: http:sundialsaga.blogspot.com
Twitter name M0DERNGIRL (all caps, with a zero as the second character)
1) What religion do you practice?
Currently, I’m a lapsed Unitarian Universalist. In the past year, I have worked as a worship associate for my Unitarian congregation and have been heavily involved in the young adult programming, but since January 2011, I’ve been taking a break (attending maybe once a month. I attended yesterday but felt nothing during the service – my current minister is terrible which is why I’m lapsed). Also in the past year, I have observed many of the Jewish holidays with my fiancé and future in-laws, and I have observed Christmas with my parents. Despite all the religious affiliations, the best description I have for myself is “Agnostic Humanist” which to me, means somewhere between a secular humanist and a religious humanist.
2) Are you a convert/revert or were you raised within this religion? If you converted, what did you need to do to convert? And what did you practice prior to converting?
The long answer to this is the content of 9 very long blog entries. Here’s the short version. Mom was an observant Catholic – but liberal minded. Dad was raised Anglican but disliked organized religion. I went to Catholic church and Catechism until I was 8, then we stopped going (they changed priests, we didn’t like the new guy). My parents gave me free range to explore, I started to get into Neo-Paganism and New Age stuff (astrology, tarot cards, oujia boards, past lives, ESP, animal sages, Native mythology, Celtic mythology, etc.) That was fun until I was about 20 and taking a Comparative Religious Studies minor in university. Then I developed a taste for Buddhism. I tried to get back into Catholicism when my Mom and Grandmother were sick, and a few years before that I gave Evangelical Protestantism a very short try (when my Pennecostal friend asked me to). By the time I was 21 or 22, I discovered that I believed in a higher power, but not Jesus, and not the Bible. According to Karen Armstrong’s “History of God” I was a Freelance Monotheist. I disliked the label Agnostic at the time because I believed (and still do) that there is something greater in the universe that we don’t understand. When I was 23 I met my Jewish fiancé, and was totally infatuated with Judaism for a year or so, then discovered it was too patriarchical and still too literal (though more metaphorical than Christianity). Almost exactly 2 years ago (and a year into my blogging about religion) I discovered Unitarian Universalism – the idea that what we believe doesn’t matter as much as what we do while we’re here. I love UU, the principles really speak to me, and it's a great “inbetwen” the liberal Christianity of my parents and the liberal Judaism of my fiancé. It’s not perfect, and after being involved with the UU congregation for 2 years, I’m a bit disenchanted with organized religion in general, but I know that UU is the best fit for me out of all the options. And nowadays, I’m comfortable knowing that it’s not so much how I label myself, as what I do. I love and feel connected to the Pantheism theories of Spinoza and Einstein, although I’m getting closer to Atheism all the time, I do believe in something bigger than us is out there.
So, I guess I officially converted from Catholicism to UU. The process was simple. I filled out a membership form and a few months later was asked to stand up during the Sunday service so the minister could announce me as one of the new membership. I wore a flower lapel pin and received a free book.
3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
Unitarian Universalism is really too small for divisions yet. But we do have some people who are more spiritual and some who are more secular. And we have congregations like that to. In the more Humanist and secular congregations, there is a greater emphasis on social justice and politics. In the more spiritual congregations, there is a greater emphasis on interfaith committees, and finding meaning in the world without believing in God or an afterlife – necessarily. Despite not believing in an afterlife or a deity who cares, I’m spiritual. My congregation has recently gone very secular. Sermons used to be about forgiveness, growing, connecting to a greater sense of purpose. Now they are dry stories about politics and current affair with no spiritual guidance. There are also some UU congregations with a greater Christian emphasis, and some with a more pluralistic or interfaith emphasis. I like the interfaith stance better.
4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
Sorry I think I just answer those above.
5)What is the Afterlife within your religion? For example: what happens when a person dies? Are there places for reward/punishment? (such as a Heaven/Hell concept)
In UU, we don’t have a clear idea. It’s not emphasized and the purpose of the faith is to pay attention to this life, not what comes after it. Among UU’s, perspective do vary quite a bit. For me personally, I no longer believe in an afterlife. I did once. Heaven, Hell, all that. Purgatory I was unaware of until I was 20, and never really bought into it. Once I even believed in reincarnation. Now, I believe in science and that when we are dead, we cease to exist. Our consciousness ceases to be, and we decay. I think that the matter which composes our body never really ceases to be, but that is recycled into other things, and that the organic particles that make us up will be absorbed into the environment and will reappear as other forms of life and organic material. For this reason, I’d like to be buried without being embalmed so that I can naturally and non-toxically decay and return to the earth. I’d also like a tree planted near my grave so that my cells and atoms and particles can be recycled and turned into atoms and particles that make up a tree.
I believe Heaven and Hell are more of a state of mind. I believe in a type of karma, more like a Chaos theory of natural cause and effect. The more negative hormones that are released by your body, the more negative hormones go up in the people you are around, etc. If you do negative things, you have a negative impact on your environment and things can come back to bite you in the ass. So, Hell is basically when you are in a funk, and you keep doing things to screw it up and let the funk continue. Heaven is when you’re self-actualized, things are going well (but not too well) and you are routinely exchanging positive energy and interactions and motivations with your surroundings.
6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
No. With Heaven being a state of mind that only exists, during this lifetime, then I’m aware that not everyone reaches that. Innocent people suffer, and those people unfortunately don’t always find the bliss that others do. I do believe every life has a purpose and an equal opportunity to impact the world. I believe we are born innocent and good and are motivated more so by good forces than by bad forces.
7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
UU is a good fit for me because it promotes pluralism, a focus on social justice and compassion, and freedom and liberty. It’s a very progressive faith which fits for equality and equity for women, people of color, glbt communities, and more. It promotes pacifism and helping others before helping the economy. It allows me to feel like I’m part of a larger system of progressively minded people, and gives me resources to find writings written by enlightened individuals. It helps push my understanding of the nature of the universe and the purpose of life and existence.
8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
Rosh Hashanah – Jewish New Year. I celebrate this by eating apples and honey to symbolize a sweet new year and to get things started off on the right foot. This happens in September around the first of the school year.
Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement. My fiancé does the traditional fast with his parents. I take the day to dedicate myself to a higher calling – such as a charity, etc. I purposely pick the most non-glamorous job (in 2010 I dragged tables through a dewy wet field at 7am) and I don’t brag or act for recognition for it (unless this counts). I concentrate on making myself a better person.
Thanksgiving – Second Monday of October. I try to get together with others for a good meal, and think about all that we have to be fortunate for.
My Birthday – November 3rd. It’s “Me Day” the most sacred day in this egocentric Western society. I spend the day spoiling myself. Most of the time, a birthday cake is included.
Hanukah – December. I have a Hanukiah (like a menorah, but with 9 candles not 7) and I light the candles with a Humanist blessing I wrote. I usually get together with my fiancé and eat latkes and chocolate on one of the days.
Christmas Eve – December 24th. My parents make a large turkey dinner, Granpa drinks whiskey, Santa drives past our house on a Fire Engine, and we each open one gift.
Christmas Day – December 25th. We wake up early, and sit under the tree, opening gift after gift. Then we eat massive amounts of yummy things all day, cheese and cracker spreads, crock pots full of hot dips, peanuts, chocolates, caramel corn, peppermints, open faced sandwiches on expensive breads, turkey leftovers, cheese balls, peanutbutter balls, and much more. We don’t do anything Christian really, it’s much more of a secular Yuletide thing.
“Holidays” December 26-31. Take it easy at my parents house and continue eating and being a glutton. Dad usually has a shut down at work, so everyone is home and spending time together the entire time.
Maple Syrup Day – February 6th. A day during the winter festival season in which I go and look at ice sculptures and frozen lakes, etc. Buy hot chocolate next to the ice rink, eat pancakes and maple syrup in the morning, and spend the day thinking about Canadian winters. It’s also close to Omelc, Imbolc, Candlemass, St. Briget’s Day, etc.
Passover – Jewish celebration of the escape from Egypt. I observe this by attending seders with my fiance’s family. We sit around a table for a long time, eat loads of food, and sing songs in Hebrew. I found the afikomen both times in the last 2 years.
Good Friday – I don’t eat meat on Good Friday out of Catholic superstition traditions.
Easter – I don’t really observed Easter anymore aside from not eating meat on Good Friday. Once in a while I’ll eat a chocolate bunny, or a cream egg, but that’s it.
Mother’s Day – Second Sunday of May. Call up my Mom and give her something nice.
Father’s Day – Third Sunday of June. Call up my Dad and give him something nice.
Canada Day – July 1st – wear red, sometimes dye my hair red, and go to Parliament Hill or an outdoor concert. Eat street meat (hotdogs) listen to bands, wear glow bracelets, watch fireworks. Have sunburn the next day.
August Family BBQ – get together with the extended family. It’s like the opposite of Christmas, at least weather wise. Having sprinklers going, eat taco salad, enjoy the bask of summer one last time before school starts and the whole cycle goes over again.
9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Absolutely! I only have 8 UU friends and we’re a pretty small group. Plus, UU really promotes an interfaith feel and encourages interfaith dialogue, we’re the faith that all the other faiths can get along with!
10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
As you can see above, there’s really no UU holidays. Not really. My holidays are a mash up between Jewish and Christian holidays and Canadian secular holidays. So, I have no problem joining in on others’ holidays. I plan to raise my kids Jewish, but they will still celebrate Christian with their maternal grandparents. I’ll try to teach them that it’s not “their” holiday but that they can help their grandparents to celebrate it.
11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I’m all for freedom, but allowing the burka is not promoting freedom. Even if some women wear it out of their own choice, other women wear it because they are peer pressued, or financially pressured or pressured due to family shame and pride. I also think that it causes social isolation while out in public, which is a form of self abuse. I would like to see the burka banned. As far as Shariah Law goes, I live in Canada, which is a secular nation state. I believe the secular laws of Canada should have more authority over the Canadian people than the laws of a religious group.
12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Yes, in UU women have equal rights and transgendered people have equal rights. I think it’s great and the way it should be. Just because your genitals are different, it doesn’t mean you lack skills to lead a congregation, think spiritually, or have good ideas.
13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
Nope. I hate segregation. I’ve gone through it when I attend Orthodox Jewish events, and I absolutely hate it. Even in people’s homes, when men daven and the women are separated, it drives me around the bend. I don’t have very much in common with women, I’m one of the guys and I like staying with my fiancé, so that’s irritating. Even at my family BBQ’s (which are sacred to me) it tends to get very gender segregated, but it’s not rigid. I can sit with the men outside as they grill meat and talk politics, and current affairs. Once in a while, an aunt will make fun of me for not being with the women as they prep salads inside and talk about kids, illnesses and domestic affairs, but at least I can go against the trend.
14) How much does your religion affect your daily life and how much thought do you give it when making a decision? Does it affect in any way your decision on abortion, gay marriage, etc?
This is tricky. My religion doesn’t dictate how I feel about abortion, gays, etc. But my perspective on that almost perfectly matches that of UU. But it didn’t influence me, UU is the place where progressively minded people go. UU is sort of a secular faith, so I don’t think it’s my “faith” that I think about everyday, but I think about my left-wing progressive stance on the world almost everyday, which happens to match my faith. When I need to make a decision, I don’t turn to my faith for answers. I turn to my humanist insight and my secular understanding of equality and right and wrong. If the humanist and secular understanding of right and wrong is my faith, then I guess you could say I do that. But I don’t follow what a minister says or what is preached on the pulpit. The minister said once we should try to avoid meat on Mondays, and he pissed me off by doing that, because I don’t think a faith should lay our concrete laws like that.
15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
I would be perfectly fine with it. I plan to raise my kids Jewish which is my fiance’s faith. If they don’t want to marry a Jew, I’ll be ok with it. My fiancé might have a hard time with it, even though he’s going to marry outside his faith.
16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
I don’t believe in Hell per say (see previous answers on Heaven and Hell). I think people of all faiths can suffer or flourish, and it’s a state of mind. It’s up to what they do, not what religious ideology they feel they follow.
17) Who do you think is not a practicing ----- in your religion and why? ie who in the public domain claims to speak for your religion? Do you agree with them or not?
I’m not sure I follow. UU have historically claimed many figures, like we say Thomas Jefferson and Susan B. Anthony and John Adams were UU’s, but they were actually Christian Unitarians. And some people who were plainly against organized religion have been cited as having UU-like sentiments, but we don’t have the right to state that. Today, there are not many famous UU people.
18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
My work colleague told another work colleague that she was sick of all “this Jewish stuff” in my work group. My boss is Jewish, I have one Jewish colleague, and I’m engaged to a Jew. My boss and colleague are extremely secular, don’t keep kosher and only observe the holidays in a secular way. Jewish stuff has only come up around the Jewish holidays and it’s always spoken of in a secular, inclusive way. Yet, this anti-Semitic colleague in my work group said she’d like to become a Nazi to stop it. I wrote her an email explaining I could report her to the Human Rights and Equity board, she panicked, said she realized it was wrong. Later told me she still thinks she was in the right for saying those things because she’s a person of color.
19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No. It’s hard explaining to secular people and people wary of Christanity that I go to church but I’m not Christian and it’s not evangelical and my church friends are not Jesus freaks. So sometimes I restrain from mentioning my beliefs.
20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Depends on how good the minister is.
21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Nope. Please see above for the comments on the afterlife.
I wish to thank Larry Tanner for his very interesting interview of last week. Thanks so much for sharing with us all Larry!
Today we have a new interview so please welcome Modern Girl. Modern Girl is a Unitarian Universalist and I know you'll enjoy her interview as well!
Here Is Modern Girl's Introduction:
Modern Girl has a complicated religious path. She was raised by an observant Catholic mother and a non-observant and secular Anglican Dad. Both parents allowed her to explore different religious options, which led her to Neo-Paganism, New Age, Buddhism, Catholicism, Judaism, Agnosticism, Unitarian Universalism, Humanism and more. At the age of 24, she started to blog about her religious experiences and different stances on religion. Now she blogs about many secular, political, and trivial matters as well, but 3 years later, she still loves the religious blogosphere.
Blog: http:sundialsaga.blogspot.com
Twitter name M0DERNGIRL (all caps, with a zero as the second character)
1) What religion do you practice?
Currently, I’m a lapsed Unitarian Universalist. In the past year, I have worked as a worship associate for my Unitarian congregation and have been heavily involved in the young adult programming, but since January 2011, I’ve been taking a break (attending maybe once a month. I attended yesterday but felt nothing during the service – my current minister is terrible which is why I’m lapsed). Also in the past year, I have observed many of the Jewish holidays with my fiancé and future in-laws, and I have observed Christmas with my parents. Despite all the religious affiliations, the best description I have for myself is “Agnostic Humanist” which to me, means somewhere between a secular humanist and a religious humanist.
2) Are you a convert/revert or were you raised within this religion? If you converted, what did you need to do to convert? And what did you practice prior to converting?
The long answer to this is the content of 9 very long blog entries. Here’s the short version. Mom was an observant Catholic – but liberal minded. Dad was raised Anglican but disliked organized religion. I went to Catholic church and Catechism until I was 8, then we stopped going (they changed priests, we didn’t like the new guy). My parents gave me free range to explore, I started to get into Neo-Paganism and New Age stuff (astrology, tarot cards, oujia boards, past lives, ESP, animal sages, Native mythology, Celtic mythology, etc.) That was fun until I was about 20 and taking a Comparative Religious Studies minor in university. Then I developed a taste for Buddhism. I tried to get back into Catholicism when my Mom and Grandmother were sick, and a few years before that I gave Evangelical Protestantism a very short try (when my Pennecostal friend asked me to). By the time I was 21 or 22, I discovered that I believed in a higher power, but not Jesus, and not the Bible. According to Karen Armstrong’s “History of God” I was a Freelance Monotheist. I disliked the label Agnostic at the time because I believed (and still do) that there is something greater in the universe that we don’t understand. When I was 23 I met my Jewish fiancé, and was totally infatuated with Judaism for a year or so, then discovered it was too patriarchical and still too literal (though more metaphorical than Christianity). Almost exactly 2 years ago (and a year into my blogging about religion) I discovered Unitarian Universalism – the idea that what we believe doesn’t matter as much as what we do while we’re here. I love UU, the principles really speak to me, and it's a great “inbetwen” the liberal Christianity of my parents and the liberal Judaism of my fiancé. It’s not perfect, and after being involved with the UU congregation for 2 years, I’m a bit disenchanted with organized religion in general, but I know that UU is the best fit for me out of all the options. And nowadays, I’m comfortable knowing that it’s not so much how I label myself, as what I do. I love and feel connected to the Pantheism theories of Spinoza and Einstein, although I’m getting closer to Atheism all the time, I do believe in something bigger than us is out there.
So, I guess I officially converted from Catholicism to UU. The process was simple. I filled out a membership form and a few months later was asked to stand up during the Sunday service so the minister could announce me as one of the new membership. I wore a flower lapel pin and received a free book.
3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
Unitarian Universalism is really too small for divisions yet. But we do have some people who are more spiritual and some who are more secular. And we have congregations like that to. In the more Humanist and secular congregations, there is a greater emphasis on social justice and politics. In the more spiritual congregations, there is a greater emphasis on interfaith committees, and finding meaning in the world without believing in God or an afterlife – necessarily. Despite not believing in an afterlife or a deity who cares, I’m spiritual. My congregation has recently gone very secular. Sermons used to be about forgiveness, growing, connecting to a greater sense of purpose. Now they are dry stories about politics and current affair with no spiritual guidance. There are also some UU congregations with a greater Christian emphasis, and some with a more pluralistic or interfaith emphasis. I like the interfaith stance better.
4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
Sorry I think I just answer those above.
5)What is the Afterlife within your religion? For example: what happens when a person dies? Are there places for reward/punishment? (such as a Heaven/Hell concept)
In UU, we don’t have a clear idea. It’s not emphasized and the purpose of the faith is to pay attention to this life, not what comes after it. Among UU’s, perspective do vary quite a bit. For me personally, I no longer believe in an afterlife. I did once. Heaven, Hell, all that. Purgatory I was unaware of until I was 20, and never really bought into it. Once I even believed in reincarnation. Now, I believe in science and that when we are dead, we cease to exist. Our consciousness ceases to be, and we decay. I think that the matter which composes our body never really ceases to be, but that is recycled into other things, and that the organic particles that make us up will be absorbed into the environment and will reappear as other forms of life and organic material. For this reason, I’d like to be buried without being embalmed so that I can naturally and non-toxically decay and return to the earth. I’d also like a tree planted near my grave so that my cells and atoms and particles can be recycled and turned into atoms and particles that make up a tree.
I believe Heaven and Hell are more of a state of mind. I believe in a type of karma, more like a Chaos theory of natural cause and effect. The more negative hormones that are released by your body, the more negative hormones go up in the people you are around, etc. If you do negative things, you have a negative impact on your environment and things can come back to bite you in the ass. So, Hell is basically when you are in a funk, and you keep doing things to screw it up and let the funk continue. Heaven is when you’re self-actualized, things are going well (but not too well) and you are routinely exchanging positive energy and interactions and motivations with your surroundings.
6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
No. With Heaven being a state of mind that only exists, during this lifetime, then I’m aware that not everyone reaches that. Innocent people suffer, and those people unfortunately don’t always find the bliss that others do. I do believe every life has a purpose and an equal opportunity to impact the world. I believe we are born innocent and good and are motivated more so by good forces than by bad forces.
7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
UU is a good fit for me because it promotes pluralism, a focus on social justice and compassion, and freedom and liberty. It’s a very progressive faith which fits for equality and equity for women, people of color, glbt communities, and more. It promotes pacifism and helping others before helping the economy. It allows me to feel like I’m part of a larger system of progressively minded people, and gives me resources to find writings written by enlightened individuals. It helps push my understanding of the nature of the universe and the purpose of life and existence.
8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
Rosh Hashanah – Jewish New Year. I celebrate this by eating apples and honey to symbolize a sweet new year and to get things started off on the right foot. This happens in September around the first of the school year.
Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement. My fiancé does the traditional fast with his parents. I take the day to dedicate myself to a higher calling – such as a charity, etc. I purposely pick the most non-glamorous job (in 2010 I dragged tables through a dewy wet field at 7am) and I don’t brag or act for recognition for it (unless this counts). I concentrate on making myself a better person.
Thanksgiving – Second Monday of October. I try to get together with others for a good meal, and think about all that we have to be fortunate for.
My Birthday – November 3rd. It’s “Me Day” the most sacred day in this egocentric Western society. I spend the day spoiling myself. Most of the time, a birthday cake is included.
Hanukah – December. I have a Hanukiah (like a menorah, but with 9 candles not 7) and I light the candles with a Humanist blessing I wrote. I usually get together with my fiancé and eat latkes and chocolate on one of the days.
Christmas Eve – December 24th. My parents make a large turkey dinner, Granpa drinks whiskey, Santa drives past our house on a Fire Engine, and we each open one gift.
Christmas Day – December 25th. We wake up early, and sit under the tree, opening gift after gift. Then we eat massive amounts of yummy things all day, cheese and cracker spreads, crock pots full of hot dips, peanuts, chocolates, caramel corn, peppermints, open faced sandwiches on expensive breads, turkey leftovers, cheese balls, peanutbutter balls, and much more. We don’t do anything Christian really, it’s much more of a secular Yuletide thing.
“Holidays” December 26-31. Take it easy at my parents house and continue eating and being a glutton. Dad usually has a shut down at work, so everyone is home and spending time together the entire time.
Maple Syrup Day – February 6th. A day during the winter festival season in which I go and look at ice sculptures and frozen lakes, etc. Buy hot chocolate next to the ice rink, eat pancakes and maple syrup in the morning, and spend the day thinking about Canadian winters. It’s also close to Omelc, Imbolc, Candlemass, St. Briget’s Day, etc.
Passover – Jewish celebration of the escape from Egypt. I observe this by attending seders with my fiance’s family. We sit around a table for a long time, eat loads of food, and sing songs in Hebrew. I found the afikomen both times in the last 2 years.
Good Friday – I don’t eat meat on Good Friday out of Catholic superstition traditions.
Easter – I don’t really observed Easter anymore aside from not eating meat on Good Friday. Once in a while I’ll eat a chocolate bunny, or a cream egg, but that’s it.
Mother’s Day – Second Sunday of May. Call up my Mom and give her something nice.
Father’s Day – Third Sunday of June. Call up my Dad and give him something nice.
Canada Day – July 1st – wear red, sometimes dye my hair red, and go to Parliament Hill or an outdoor concert. Eat street meat (hotdogs) listen to bands, wear glow bracelets, watch fireworks. Have sunburn the next day.
August Family BBQ – get together with the extended family. It’s like the opposite of Christmas, at least weather wise. Having sprinklers going, eat taco salad, enjoy the bask of summer one last time before school starts and the whole cycle goes over again.
9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Absolutely! I only have 8 UU friends and we’re a pretty small group. Plus, UU really promotes an interfaith feel and encourages interfaith dialogue, we’re the faith that all the other faiths can get along with!
10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
As you can see above, there’s really no UU holidays. Not really. My holidays are a mash up between Jewish and Christian holidays and Canadian secular holidays. So, I have no problem joining in on others’ holidays. I plan to raise my kids Jewish, but they will still celebrate Christian with their maternal grandparents. I’ll try to teach them that it’s not “their” holiday but that they can help their grandparents to celebrate it.
11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I’m all for freedom, but allowing the burka is not promoting freedom. Even if some women wear it out of their own choice, other women wear it because they are peer pressued, or financially pressured or pressured due to family shame and pride. I also think that it causes social isolation while out in public, which is a form of self abuse. I would like to see the burka banned. As far as Shariah Law goes, I live in Canada, which is a secular nation state. I believe the secular laws of Canada should have more authority over the Canadian people than the laws of a religious group.
12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Yes, in UU women have equal rights and transgendered people have equal rights. I think it’s great and the way it should be. Just because your genitals are different, it doesn’t mean you lack skills to lead a congregation, think spiritually, or have good ideas.
13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
Nope. I hate segregation. I’ve gone through it when I attend Orthodox Jewish events, and I absolutely hate it. Even in people’s homes, when men daven and the women are separated, it drives me around the bend. I don’t have very much in common with women, I’m one of the guys and I like staying with my fiancé, so that’s irritating. Even at my family BBQ’s (which are sacred to me) it tends to get very gender segregated, but it’s not rigid. I can sit with the men outside as they grill meat and talk politics, and current affairs. Once in a while, an aunt will make fun of me for not being with the women as they prep salads inside and talk about kids, illnesses and domestic affairs, but at least I can go against the trend.
14) How much does your religion affect your daily life and how much thought do you give it when making a decision? Does it affect in any way your decision on abortion, gay marriage, etc?
This is tricky. My religion doesn’t dictate how I feel about abortion, gays, etc. But my perspective on that almost perfectly matches that of UU. But it didn’t influence me, UU is the place where progressively minded people go. UU is sort of a secular faith, so I don’t think it’s my “faith” that I think about everyday, but I think about my left-wing progressive stance on the world almost everyday, which happens to match my faith. When I need to make a decision, I don’t turn to my faith for answers. I turn to my humanist insight and my secular understanding of equality and right and wrong. If the humanist and secular understanding of right and wrong is my faith, then I guess you could say I do that. But I don’t follow what a minister says or what is preached on the pulpit. The minister said once we should try to avoid meat on Mondays, and he pissed me off by doing that, because I don’t think a faith should lay our concrete laws like that.
15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
I would be perfectly fine with it. I plan to raise my kids Jewish which is my fiance’s faith. If they don’t want to marry a Jew, I’ll be ok with it. My fiancé might have a hard time with it, even though he’s going to marry outside his faith.
16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
I don’t believe in Hell per say (see previous answers on Heaven and Hell). I think people of all faiths can suffer or flourish, and it’s a state of mind. It’s up to what they do, not what religious ideology they feel they follow.
17) Who do you think is not a practicing ----- in your religion and why? ie who in the public domain claims to speak for your religion? Do you agree with them or not?
I’m not sure I follow. UU have historically claimed many figures, like we say Thomas Jefferson and Susan B. Anthony and John Adams were UU’s, but they were actually Christian Unitarians. And some people who were plainly against organized religion have been cited as having UU-like sentiments, but we don’t have the right to state that. Today, there are not many famous UU people.
18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
My work colleague told another work colleague that she was sick of all “this Jewish stuff” in my work group. My boss is Jewish, I have one Jewish colleague, and I’m engaged to a Jew. My boss and colleague are extremely secular, don’t keep kosher and only observe the holidays in a secular way. Jewish stuff has only come up around the Jewish holidays and it’s always spoken of in a secular, inclusive way. Yet, this anti-Semitic colleague in my work group said she’d like to become a Nazi to stop it. I wrote her an email explaining I could report her to the Human Rights and Equity board, she panicked, said she realized it was wrong. Later told me she still thinks she was in the right for saying those things because she’s a person of color.
19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No. It’s hard explaining to secular people and people wary of Christanity that I go to church but I’m not Christian and it’s not evangelical and my church friends are not Jesus freaks. So sometimes I restrain from mentioning my beliefs.
20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Depends on how good the minister is.
21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Nope. Please see above for the comments on the afterlife.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Mary Pickford Quote
Hello and Happy Wednesday!
Today's quote is brought to you by Mary Pickford:
You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down.
There's a new interview coming up on Saturday so be sure to check back!
Today's quote is brought to you by Mary Pickford:
You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down.
There's a new interview coming up on Saturday so be sure to check back!
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Larry Tanner
Hello and Happy Saturday!
First up I wish to thank Janie (aka Mother Moon) for her wonderful interview last week. Thanks so much for sharing with us Janie!
Today we have a new interview so please welcome Larry Tanner.
Larry is an Atheist and I know you'll enjoy his interview as well!
Here Is Larry Tanner's Introduction:
I am married with three young children. I have lived in Massachusetts most of my life and still do. Since 2008, I have self-identified as an Atheist. I was raised in a Jewish home of relaxed observance, and I keep some interest in Jewish culture. My wife of 11 years is a devout Christian.
http://larrytanner.blogspot.com
1) What religion do you practice?
Although I don’t feel that I practice any religion, I give a small amount of money to a local Jewish religious center. Through my wife, I support a local Christian church. I recently held a Passover seder with my family, and I attended an Easter barbeque with my wife’s family. Being non-religious, and in some cases anti-religious, has not completely removed religion from my life.
2) Are you a convert/revert or were you raised within this religion? If you converted, what did you need to do to convert? And what did you practice prior to converting?
I suppose I am a “convert” to Atheism. In 2008, when I was 38 years old, I accepted that Atheism best reflected what I thought was true about the state of the world. I arrived at this conclusion after many years of learning about my religion, about Christianity and other religions, about the textual histories of various holy books, about both world and human history, and about methods of knowledge and understanding in various disciplines of the sciences and humanities. Before I accepted that Atheism was the view I truly held, I considered myself a Jewish believer and I made a practice of reading Torah, donning Tefillin, and visiting shul. After my acceptance—I don’t think “conversion” captures my experience—I became more focused on the knowledge and activities that really interested me. I wanted to learn about probability. I wanted to blog and to do computer programming. I felt more empowered to pursue my best self.
3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
Some people give different degrees of Atheism, as in strong Atheism or weak Atheism. The degrees are supposed to reflect how certain one is. Atheism is often contrasted with agnosticism, which is the position of “I don’t know.” Even at the times in my life when I was most believing, I always harbored some agnosticism. Eventually, however, I realized that I knew enough to make “I don’t know” a weasel conclusion. I didn’t think it was honest for me to sit on the fence anymore, and so I became an Atheist.
4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
I suppose I would be considered a strong Atheist, as I don’t think there’s any question that no gods exist or ever have. I’m certain that all religions are man-made and that all the holy books are human invention. Don’t get me wrong: some of the narratives, poetry, and teachings in these books are lovely. But these books do not warrant special authority and they often don’t make great guides for how people ought to live their lives today. I am also personally critical of religious organizations. I think the Catholic church is a horrible, evil institution. I think religious apology and evangelism are mostly immoral activities. I am an advocate for the position that religious organizations should pay state and federal taxes.
5)What is the Afterlife within your religion? For example: what happens when a person dies? Are there places for reward/punishment? (such as a Heaven/Hell concept)
I don’t know of any good reason to think that there is an afterlife in the sense of a Heaven or Hell.
6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
In my opinion, and I feel I’m on the right track with this, everyone dies and eventually decomposes.
7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
Atheism makes a good fit for me because it brings me back to basic important questions that need to be asked about most anything: Is this actually true? How do we know? How else can we legitimately understand this? It’s also a good fit because I don’t need to do things I always thought were kind of silly—such as giving thanks and praise to nothing, or calling Abraham’s willingness to murder his son a good thing, or standing in respect to a book or a wall.
8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
Every day is “holy.” We don’t get a chance to re-do the right now and the today. Hopefully, what we are doing and learning right now set a trajectory for good things.
9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Yes, people of other faiths are my friends. Heck, one of them is my wife! I don’t know what my young children will choose for themselves religiously. My worries for them are more material, but I would not want them to join a religion in which they feel compelled to avoid me. That would hurt.
10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
I try to minimize the amount of time I join family and friends in specifically religious activities. I have better things to do. When they are done with the religious part, I usually try to join them at that time. Sometimes, as for a funeral, one must enter a church and sit through the blah-blah, but these times are relatively few.
11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I think both the burka and Sharia Law are awful and antithetical to human happiness and welfare.
12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
There are several Atheist organizations, and I believe women are able to hold any office within them. Personally, I advocate equal opportunity for all.
13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
No.
14) How much does your religion affect your daily life and how much thought do you give it when making a decision? Does it affect in any way your decision on abortion, gay marriage, etc?
Atheism affects my daily life in some ways. I read the Atheist blogs. I don’t worry about having bacon or sausage. Most of the time, the non-existence of divine beings in the universe doesn’t seem to affect me.
15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
If the potential spouse is a Red Sox fan, I can handle most anything.
16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
No. I have a hard time understanding how people could think that their group alone has the keys out of Hell while everyone else now living and the billions upon billions who have ever lived before are baking over brimstone.
17) Who do you think is not a practicing ----- in your religion and why? ie who in the public domain claims to speak for your religion? Do you agree with them or not?
There are some prominent and outspoken Atheists. They don’t speak for me or for anyone else. They know it, too.
18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
When I was a kid, I was probably called various Jewish names before (e.g., “kike,” “Jew-ball,” etc.).
19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No, not at all.
20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
No. I get peace of mind from the love of my family and from being a decent person.
21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Not in the sense of people “coming back” as other people or animals. I’m not familiar enough with any pro-reincarnation arguments to comment much on the idea.
First up I wish to thank Janie (aka Mother Moon) for her wonderful interview last week. Thanks so much for sharing with us Janie!
Today we have a new interview so please welcome Larry Tanner.
Larry is an Atheist and I know you'll enjoy his interview as well!
Here Is Larry Tanner's Introduction:
I am married with three young children. I have lived in Massachusetts most of my life and still do. Since 2008, I have self-identified as an Atheist. I was raised in a Jewish home of relaxed observance, and I keep some interest in Jewish culture. My wife of 11 years is a devout Christian.
http://larrytanner.blogspot.com
1) What religion do you practice?
Although I don’t feel that I practice any religion, I give a small amount of money to a local Jewish religious center. Through my wife, I support a local Christian church. I recently held a Passover seder with my family, and I attended an Easter barbeque with my wife’s family. Being non-religious, and in some cases anti-religious, has not completely removed religion from my life.
2) Are you a convert/revert or were you raised within this religion? If you converted, what did you need to do to convert? And what did you practice prior to converting?
I suppose I am a “convert” to Atheism. In 2008, when I was 38 years old, I accepted that Atheism best reflected what I thought was true about the state of the world. I arrived at this conclusion after many years of learning about my religion, about Christianity and other religions, about the textual histories of various holy books, about both world and human history, and about methods of knowledge and understanding in various disciplines of the sciences and humanities. Before I accepted that Atheism was the view I truly held, I considered myself a Jewish believer and I made a practice of reading Torah, donning Tefillin, and visiting shul. After my acceptance—I don’t think “conversion” captures my experience—I became more focused on the knowledge and activities that really interested me. I wanted to learn about probability. I wanted to blog and to do computer programming. I felt more empowered to pursue my best self.
3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
Some people give different degrees of Atheism, as in strong Atheism or weak Atheism. The degrees are supposed to reflect how certain one is. Atheism is often contrasted with agnosticism, which is the position of “I don’t know.” Even at the times in my life when I was most believing, I always harbored some agnosticism. Eventually, however, I realized that I knew enough to make “I don’t know” a weasel conclusion. I didn’t think it was honest for me to sit on the fence anymore, and so I became an Atheist.
4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
I suppose I would be considered a strong Atheist, as I don’t think there’s any question that no gods exist or ever have. I’m certain that all religions are man-made and that all the holy books are human invention. Don’t get me wrong: some of the narratives, poetry, and teachings in these books are lovely. But these books do not warrant special authority and they often don’t make great guides for how people ought to live their lives today. I am also personally critical of religious organizations. I think the Catholic church is a horrible, evil institution. I think religious apology and evangelism are mostly immoral activities. I am an advocate for the position that religious organizations should pay state and federal taxes.
5)What is the Afterlife within your religion? For example: what happens when a person dies? Are there places for reward/punishment? (such as a Heaven/Hell concept)
I don’t know of any good reason to think that there is an afterlife in the sense of a Heaven or Hell.
6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
In my opinion, and I feel I’m on the right track with this, everyone dies and eventually decomposes.
7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
Atheism makes a good fit for me because it brings me back to basic important questions that need to be asked about most anything: Is this actually true? How do we know? How else can we legitimately understand this? It’s also a good fit because I don’t need to do things I always thought were kind of silly—such as giving thanks and praise to nothing, or calling Abraham’s willingness to murder his son a good thing, or standing in respect to a book or a wall.
8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
Every day is “holy.” We don’t get a chance to re-do the right now and the today. Hopefully, what we are doing and learning right now set a trajectory for good things.
9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Yes, people of other faiths are my friends. Heck, one of them is my wife! I don’t know what my young children will choose for themselves religiously. My worries for them are more material, but I would not want them to join a religion in which they feel compelled to avoid me. That would hurt.
10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
I try to minimize the amount of time I join family and friends in specifically religious activities. I have better things to do. When they are done with the religious part, I usually try to join them at that time. Sometimes, as for a funeral, one must enter a church and sit through the blah-blah, but these times are relatively few.
11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I think both the burka and Sharia Law are awful and antithetical to human happiness and welfare.
12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
There are several Atheist organizations, and I believe women are able to hold any office within them. Personally, I advocate equal opportunity for all.
13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
No.
14) How much does your religion affect your daily life and how much thought do you give it when making a decision? Does it affect in any way your decision on abortion, gay marriage, etc?
Atheism affects my daily life in some ways. I read the Atheist blogs. I don’t worry about having bacon or sausage. Most of the time, the non-existence of divine beings in the universe doesn’t seem to affect me.
15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
If the potential spouse is a Red Sox fan, I can handle most anything.
16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
No. I have a hard time understanding how people could think that their group alone has the keys out of Hell while everyone else now living and the billions upon billions who have ever lived before are baking over brimstone.
17) Who do you think is not a practicing ----- in your religion and why? ie who in the public domain claims to speak for your religion? Do you agree with them or not?
There are some prominent and outspoken Atheists. They don’t speak for me or for anyone else. They know it, too.
18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
When I was a kid, I was probably called various Jewish names before (e.g., “kike,” “Jew-ball,” etc.).
19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No, not at all.
20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
No. I get peace of mind from the love of my family and from being a decent person.
21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Not in the sense of people “coming back” as other people or animals. I’m not familiar enough with any pro-reincarnation arguments to comment much on the idea.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
John McCrae Quote
Hello and Happy Thursday!
In honour of Remembrance Day (tomorrow) and in memory of all veterans, I've posted John McCrae's poem 'In Flanders Fields'
“In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.”
In honour of Remembrance Day (tomorrow) and in memory of all veterans, I've posted John McCrae's poem 'In Flanders Fields'
“In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.”
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
December Interviews
Hello and Happy Tuesday!
Here's what YMR will have in store for the December Interviews:
we'll hear from Malwina who is a Christian, Navjeet Singh Sandhu who is a Sikh, Omar Ghraieb who is a Muslim, Liorah Lleucu who is a Jewitch and Christopher Darren Horn who is a Noahide.
All very interesting interviews you're not going to want to miss!
Here's what YMR will have in store for the December Interviews:
we'll hear from Malwina who is a Christian, Navjeet Singh Sandhu who is a Sikh, Omar Ghraieb who is a Muslim, Liorah Lleucu who is a Jewitch and Christopher Darren Horn who is a Noahide.
All very interesting interviews you're not going to want to miss!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Janie (aka Mother Moon)
Hello and Happy Saturday!
I wish to thank Elinor Predota for her interesting interview last week. An excellent read! Thank you so much for sharing Elinor!
Today we have a new interview so please welcome Janie (aka Mother Moon). Janie is a Pagan and I know you'll enjoy her interview as well!
Here Is Janie's Introduction:
The following in my introduction: Smack dab in the center of America is where you will find me. A mother of three (plus one step daughter), grandma to three (with one on the way). A lover of animals (2 cats and one lab - plus any strays that may happen my way), nature, gardening, music, simplicity, and good times with friends, I love long conversations with others of different thoughts and such, as I believe that one should always have an open mind to what someone else may say. There is far more perspectives in the world than just mine and to think that I am the one with the only right one is pure folly. It is through our ears and our eyes that we find the answers to the questions we all ask, not through the constant wagging of our tongues.
My website/blog is as follows http://mothermoonsmessage.blogspot.com
1) What religion do you practice?
I am not sure what to call what I practice. I am yet to find the label to attach to myself. Yet when asked this question I usually answer: It is hard to tie myself down to one specific as I feel there are many that touch me yet none that completely explain me... I am a naturist by heart, a lover of the out of doors and all her wonder. As a friend of mine puts it : Non - specific personal paganism
2) Are you a convert/revert or were you raised within this religion? If you converted, what did you need to do to convert? And what did you practice prior to converting?
I am definitely a convert. Living in Oklahoma one is seldom raised outside the "church". In my younger days I made my rounds to the multiple denominations that resided in my tiny rural town. Settling finally on the Baptist church. Yet always having a desire for more answers to the many questions that continuously came to me. Not ever feeling that I gained a good enough answer from the leaders of the church. Although my naturalistic (druidism) beliefs were in me from a youthful age, I did not pursue them due to the teachings of the church, allowing me to think that such ideas would only land me in the pits of hell. Yet through the continual personal search for "God" and his ways I was led to what I believe now, which differs greatly from the doctrine of any denominations.
3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
If I understand this question correctly it is directed towards what I believe thus it would not necessarily be directed at other religions. If this is correct I do not necessarily think it has any relevance to my beliefs as I view these categories as levels of rigidity that one has. I believe in ones belief system as a personal journey and thus any of the labels could apply.
4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
Again if I had to make a choice in regards to the degrees of observance for me in regards to my beliefs I would choose a liberal orthodox. I choose this because I feel that I am very open in regards to what I believe and what I practice yet I am also quite passionate about it. I am always willing to listen to ones views that are different from my own yet I will not easily be swayed from them.
5)What is the Afterlife within your religion? For example: what happens when a person dies? Are there places for reward/punishment? (such as a Heaven/Hell concept)
Within my beliefs, I do belief that there is something after one passes from this so called life we lead now. It is my personal belief that it is much like heaven, yet I also believe that each ones heaven can be described differently. I do not necessarily believe in an absolute reward/punishment at least not in the sense that I think most men do. I believe that we are living this daily as we go through our lives, in regards to what we choose to be a part of as well as what we choose to turn a blind eye too.
6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
It is a continual journey that one makes. Each one choosing whether to learn from lessons that are set in front of them or not to. For some I think the journey is not as long as it may be for others. And quite possibly there may be some who never make it to the end.
7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
I do not believe in holding all people regardless of culture, heritage, environment, etc to the same ruler. I do believe in a God yet I also believe that man attempts too many times to put him into a box labeling him in the manner that fits him so that he can feel good about himself. I believe that each ones spiritual journey is their own and is a personal experience that only they can travel.
8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
I follow the Sabbats. There are 8 Sabbats that make up the Wheel of the Year. They are solar and seasonal in nature and represent birth, life, death, and rebirth. They are as follows: Samhain (New Year - Oct 31 & Nov 1), Yule (Winter Solstice - Dec 21), Imbolc (February 2), Ostara (Spring Equinox- March 21) , Beltain (May 1), Litha (Midsummer - June 21), Lammas (Aug 1), and Mabon (Autumn Equinox-Sept 21).
9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Of course. I have learned much from others with differing views and also at different points in their spiritual journeys.
10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
I often visit and participate in others beliefs as much of my family believe differently than I. I may not partake in all the festivities or rituals that they may have though. I feel out of respect for my beliefs as well as theirs that this would be improper.
11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I will be honest and say that I am not comfortably familiar with the Shariah Law and therefore do not feel that I can make an adequate analysis of it.;
12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
As I have stated before, it is a personal walk and therefore we are all priests aren't we?
13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
No
14) How much does your religion affect your daily life and how much thought do you give it when making a decision? Does it affect in any way your decision on abortion, gay marriage, etc?
I think my beliefs affect much of my daily life and how I view things.
15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion? Once again I feel that each one has their own journey to walk including my children, grandchildren etc. If they were to choose to marry outside their beliefs that is their choice. If I felt a need to convey any concern to them I would do so yet in the end the final decision is their own.
16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
Goodness no. It would be a sad world if that were the case. Not sure any of us would make it
17) Who do you think is not a practicing ----- in your religion and why? ie who in the public domain claims to speak for your religion? Do you agree with them or not?
As I said before I do not affiliate myself with any specific religion so there is not anyone specific that I can say speaks for it except myself.
18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
I know that there are many cases where there have been ones who have been an obvious target or victim of such thing. The abuse is so obvious that it is impossible to not see it for all the ignorance and cruelty that it truly is. Yet I also believe that there are subtle hate crimes that occur every day. The cold stares or turned up noses from someone who does not believe as you. The whispers and such from one who perceives that they "know" what your beliefs are and since of course they are different than theirs they can not be right. I think all of us can say in some way we have been a victim of one of these
19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No I never have
20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Since I have accepted myself and the beliefs and questions that have always been inside of me and quit beating myself up for not following what I was told was the "right way"; I have never been more happier or more sure of the path that I am on.
21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Yes very much so. Mainly because of occurrences in my life over time as well as the simplicity that it seems to show me in regards to understanding the full circle.
I wish to thank Elinor Predota for her interesting interview last week. An excellent read! Thank you so much for sharing Elinor!
Today we have a new interview so please welcome Janie (aka Mother Moon). Janie is a Pagan and I know you'll enjoy her interview as well!
Here Is Janie's Introduction:
The following in my introduction: Smack dab in the center of America is where you will find me. A mother of three (plus one step daughter), grandma to three (with one on the way). A lover of animals (2 cats and one lab - plus any strays that may happen my way), nature, gardening, music, simplicity, and good times with friends, I love long conversations with others of different thoughts and such, as I believe that one should always have an open mind to what someone else may say. There is far more perspectives in the world than just mine and to think that I am the one with the only right one is pure folly. It is through our ears and our eyes that we find the answers to the questions we all ask, not through the constant wagging of our tongues.
My website/blog is as follows http://mothermoonsmessage.blogspot.com
1) What religion do you practice?
I am not sure what to call what I practice. I am yet to find the label to attach to myself. Yet when asked this question I usually answer: It is hard to tie myself down to one specific as I feel there are many that touch me yet none that completely explain me... I am a naturist by heart, a lover of the out of doors and all her wonder. As a friend of mine puts it : Non - specific personal paganism
2) Are you a convert/revert or were you raised within this religion? If you converted, what did you need to do to convert? And what did you practice prior to converting?
I am definitely a convert. Living in Oklahoma one is seldom raised outside the "church". In my younger days I made my rounds to the multiple denominations that resided in my tiny rural town. Settling finally on the Baptist church. Yet always having a desire for more answers to the many questions that continuously came to me. Not ever feeling that I gained a good enough answer from the leaders of the church. Although my naturalistic (druidism) beliefs were in me from a youthful age, I did not pursue them due to the teachings of the church, allowing me to think that such ideas would only land me in the pits of hell. Yet through the continual personal search for "God" and his ways I was led to what I believe now, which differs greatly from the doctrine of any denominations.
3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
If I understand this question correctly it is directed towards what I believe thus it would not necessarily be directed at other religions. If this is correct I do not necessarily think it has any relevance to my beliefs as I view these categories as levels of rigidity that one has. I believe in ones belief system as a personal journey and thus any of the labels could apply.
4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
Again if I had to make a choice in regards to the degrees of observance for me in regards to my beliefs I would choose a liberal orthodox. I choose this because I feel that I am very open in regards to what I believe and what I practice yet I am also quite passionate about it. I am always willing to listen to ones views that are different from my own yet I will not easily be swayed from them.
5)What is the Afterlife within your religion? For example: what happens when a person dies? Are there places for reward/punishment? (such as a Heaven/Hell concept)
Within my beliefs, I do belief that there is something after one passes from this so called life we lead now. It is my personal belief that it is much like heaven, yet I also believe that each ones heaven can be described differently. I do not necessarily believe in an absolute reward/punishment at least not in the sense that I think most men do. I believe that we are living this daily as we go through our lives, in regards to what we choose to be a part of as well as what we choose to turn a blind eye too.
6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
It is a continual journey that one makes. Each one choosing whether to learn from lessons that are set in front of them or not to. For some I think the journey is not as long as it may be for others. And quite possibly there may be some who never make it to the end.
7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
I do not believe in holding all people regardless of culture, heritage, environment, etc to the same ruler. I do believe in a God yet I also believe that man attempts too many times to put him into a box labeling him in the manner that fits him so that he can feel good about himself. I believe that each ones spiritual journey is their own and is a personal experience that only they can travel.
8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
I follow the Sabbats. There are 8 Sabbats that make up the Wheel of the Year. They are solar and seasonal in nature and represent birth, life, death, and rebirth. They are as follows: Samhain (New Year - Oct 31 & Nov 1), Yule (Winter Solstice - Dec 21), Imbolc (February 2), Ostara (Spring Equinox- March 21) , Beltain (May 1), Litha (Midsummer - June 21), Lammas (Aug 1), and Mabon (Autumn Equinox-Sept 21).
9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Of course. I have learned much from others with differing views and also at different points in their spiritual journeys.
10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
I often visit and participate in others beliefs as much of my family believe differently than I. I may not partake in all the festivities or rituals that they may have though. I feel out of respect for my beliefs as well as theirs that this would be improper.
11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I will be honest and say that I am not comfortably familiar with the Shariah Law and therefore do not feel that I can make an adequate analysis of it.;
12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
As I have stated before, it is a personal walk and therefore we are all priests aren't we?
13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
No
14) How much does your religion affect your daily life and how much thought do you give it when making a decision? Does it affect in any way your decision on abortion, gay marriage, etc?
I think my beliefs affect much of my daily life and how I view things.
15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion? Once again I feel that each one has their own journey to walk including my children, grandchildren etc. If they were to choose to marry outside their beliefs that is their choice. If I felt a need to convey any concern to them I would do so yet in the end the final decision is their own.
16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
Goodness no. It would be a sad world if that were the case. Not sure any of us would make it
17) Who do you think is not a practicing ----- in your religion and why? ie who in the public domain claims to speak for your religion? Do you agree with them or not?
As I said before I do not affiliate myself with any specific religion so there is not anyone specific that I can say speaks for it except myself.
18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
I know that there are many cases where there have been ones who have been an obvious target or victim of such thing. The abuse is so obvious that it is impossible to not see it for all the ignorance and cruelty that it truly is. Yet I also believe that there are subtle hate crimes that occur every day. The cold stares or turned up noses from someone who does not believe as you. The whispers and such from one who perceives that they "know" what your beliefs are and since of course they are different than theirs they can not be right. I think all of us can say in some way we have been a victim of one of these
19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No I never have
20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Since I have accepted myself and the beliefs and questions that have always been inside of me and quit beating myself up for not following what I was told was the "right way"; I have never been more happier or more sure of the path that I am on.
21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Yes very much so. Mainly because of occurrences in my life over time as well as the simplicity that it seems to show me in regards to understanding the full circle.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Steve Irwin Quote
Hello and Happy Thursday!
Today's quote is brought to you by Steve Irwin:
Whatever you want to do in this world, it is achievable. The most important thing that I've found, that perhaps you could use, is be passionate and enthusiastic in the direction that you choose in life, and you'll be a winner.
There's a new interview coming up on Saturday so be sure to check back!
Today's quote is brought to you by Steve Irwin:
Whatever you want to do in this world, it is achievable. The most important thing that I've found, that perhaps you could use, is be passionate and enthusiastic in the direction that you choose in life, and you'll be a winner.
There's a new interview coming up on Saturday so be sure to check back!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Big Thanks!
Hello and Happy Tuesday!
I wish to thank ymr participants:
Joel Holopainen/Jouji Heion, Harry/Hanrei Banzan, Dalyn Robert Montgomery, Louise Rogers, Adrian Worsfold, Christina, and Elinor Predota.
All excellent interviews, every one of them unique and interesting, and I wish to thank you all for sharing your faith journeys with all of us! I very much apppreciate all of you! Thank you!
I wish to thank ymr participants:
Joel Holopainen/Jouji Heion, Harry/Hanrei Banzan, Dalyn Robert Montgomery, Louise Rogers, Adrian Worsfold, Christina, and Elinor Predota.
All excellent interviews, every one of them unique and interesting, and I wish to thank you all for sharing your faith journeys with all of us! I very much apppreciate all of you! Thank you!
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