It takes courage to lay open our deep beliefs and share with others, we all grow together when we can openly talk about the great mysteries.

If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.
William Blake

When I was a little girl, my Dad was a Baptist minister. But he gave it up when I was about 10, to become a psychiatric social worker. He said that he prefered to work WITH people rather than preachin' AT em from a high pulpit. Always thought that was ultra cool, and feel blessed that was allowed to have such an open-minded upbringing about religion. I remember my dad telling me that based on his studies in seminary, he believed that the Bible was a collection of stories to make a point. To teach us how to live peacefully amongst others. For example he told me that he thinks that is quite likely that Jesus was born in the spring, from all of the references to lambs and baby animals, and that early Christians celebrated Jesus' birth when they did, to coincide with a Roman Festival (solstice I think, but sadly don't remember exactly) to avoid persecution. My Dad was also sending young men to a pastor friend of his in Canada, who did not want to go fight in Viet Nam. This made for my first fistfight actually-a kid in school was calling my dad a "communist". Had no idea at the time what a communist was, just knew sounded like an insult to my Daddy. So I pounded the guy. Then when I got sent home, and Dad was talking to me about what had happened-he said that the next time that someone called him a communist, I could answer that Jesus lived a communal lifestyle, and so we considered that word no insult. We visited all sorts of other churches, and learned in Sunday school in my dad's church about other religious beliefs.

End result of all of this openness, is that am relatively unconflicted about religion. Was allowed to say that I am not sure whether I believe in God, in the Christian sense of the word, but that I believed that God was a term to lable forces and a spirituality that don't understand, nor necessarily need to. Same feeling for western organized religions in general.

I am eternally grateful to my Dad that I grew up learning tolerance, and being allowed and encouraged to discuss what I thought and felt. Think that is what religion is all about. Can admit am conflicted about God, and such complicated terms and structure that most religions bring, but have a deep belief in faith and spirituality. Has given me a freedom to find spirituality in nature, or when dancing at a show, or .... And while I personally find most religions to be too "confining" for lack of a better word-have a hefty respect and appreciation for how important faith is to many others. In a way I sometimes wish I had this deep belief, to help with the harshness that life can bring. Personal Faith is a powerful thing, and should never be criticized.

Oy-was trying to keep a very long flow in my head brief here, and is first thing in the morning. Hope is at least a little bit understandable what am trying to say! :-)
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Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone, you will still exist, but you have ceased to live.
Samuel Clemens

Havent ever looked at this section before.

I totally agree with with Hal R(a page back) about how Christians tend to have a lack of respect and tolerance for others. I am a self proclaimed "Liberal Chirstian" and have respect for all other religions, cultures, opinions, etc. I think that alot of times Christians forget about the way that Jesus would want us to act and spend most of their time judging and hating others and some how talk themselves into beliving that all that hatred is someday going to get them into heaven. I was a hardcore athiest for a few years of my life because of this. It was all I had seen of Christianity so I thought thats all there was to it. Jesus is about love, understanding, tolerance, and respect people!!! and if he was alive today he would totally be digging long hair, tye-die, and the Grateful Dead.

Just what I belive anyway.

Peace and Love to you all,
Trevor

"You know the one thing we need is a left handed monkey wrench....."

for assisting me with that history. I need all the help I can get!

As Mark Twain said "It ain't what I don't know that gets me into trouble. It's what I know for sure that ain't so."

Take care all.

dressed myself in green
I went down unto the sea.
Try to see what's goin' down, try to read between the lines
. I had a feelin' I was fallin', fallin', fallin',
I turned around to see,

40,000 headmen hit the ground,
Forty thousand headmen couldn't make me change my mind
If I had to take the choice between the deafman and the blind
I know just where my feet should go and that's enough for me
I turned around and knocked them down and walked across the sea

Comes a time when the blind man takes your hand
Says "don't you see?"
Gotta make it somehow

just living in yesterdays tomorrow
peace2all