Re: Re: holidays and customs, not about beliefs or faith

[Guest guest]

I have always enjoyed talking to people of different faiths. Like all of you here, it is interesting to learn what their beliefs and traditions are. However, I have had people tell me that because I am Catholic, and that is the only reason, that I am going to hell. I refuse to get in a debate with someone that narrow minded, don't respond just walk away.

There was a woman I used to work with a number of years ago, she was the first person to tell me that. All I said in response was that she had her beliefs and I have mine, end of story. There is always someone who is going to have different beliefs than you and sometimes you just let them have their say and walk away, it's better than getting into an arguement with someone whose beliefs are so ingrained that there is no getting them to open their minds to some other belief than theirs.

Have a beautiful Easter weekend all.

Blessing to everyone and their families,

Tina

Subject: Re: holidays and customs, not about beliefs or faithTo: MSersLife Date: Friday, April 10, 2009, 12:19 AM

Fascinating story! I do agree that we all have a lot to learn from each other.love/Reb>> Yesterday at the first eve of Pesach, one of the> guests was Catholic; we ended up talking for> (really, honestly) nearly four hours between > parts of the ritual stuff and eating and chewing> while talking with our mouths full. I learned more> about Catholicism than I have ever imagined knowing,> and was fascinated as the guy, who was my cousin's> guest, was so knowledgeable. Retired attorney. > Every religious holiday should bring people from > other religions together, I think--if only by accident.> > So, Happy whatever celebratory thing you do to every> one. Our guest was fascinated with the similarities> to

his own religion, as we were with his comments.> Made me feel good all over.> > Love to you all,> and is this not Good Friday tomorrow?> I am so old that I can remember that in public> school fish was always served on Fridays--I loved> it! > n>

[Guest guest]

Very true Tina! Just recently, a couple of our (my hubby & I) friends

got in a huge fight over religion. They came to blows over it at work

and they lost their jobs. It all began because my hubby brought up a

show we had seen on the history channel. It was about the Adam and

Eve, but before Eve there was Lilith. People have their own opinions

of things thats for sure. And I am ok with that, I like to hear about

other religions too. Anyhow, two of our good friends hate each other

all because of differing thoughts on religion. I wish they could see

how silly they are being. The police even had to be called over it.

Jolie

[Guest guest]

Lilith (Frasier not withstanding) was a strong woman - the Church

fathers couldn't handle that

[Guest guest]

I try and have sympathy for those people - I've been dragged to that sort

of church, and they are the least joyful people I've ever met.

Holy Orthodoxy teaches that while we know where Grace IS, we can't know

where it is NOT - therefore we don't say ANYBODY is going straight to hell.

:-)

Happy Easter to those who celebrate tomorrow!

T

in WY

" You get a wonderful view from the point of no return... "

http://practical-blackwork.blogspot.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/liadains_fancies

Re: Re: holidays and customs, not about beliefs or faith

I have always enjoyed talking to people of different faiths.  Like all of

you here, it is interesting to learn what their beliefs and traditions are. 

However, I have had people tell me that because I am Catholic, and that is

the only reason, that I am going to hell.  I refuse to get in a debate with

someone that narrow minded, don't respond just walk away.  

 

There was a woman I used to work with a number of years ago, she was the

first person to tell me that.  All I said in response was that she had her

beliefs and I have mine, end of story.  There is always someone who is going

to have different beliefs than you and sometimes you just let them have

their say and walk away, it's better than getting into an arguement with

someone whose beliefs are so ingrained that there is no getting them to open

their minds to some other belief than theirs.

 

Have a beautiful Easter weekend all.

 

Blessing to everyone and their families,

 

Tina

[Guest guest]

Hi Jolie! I saw that show! We watch alot of history channel. That

stinks all that drama over a show and opinions. Isnt worth losing

friendship or jobs over. Hopefully later it will all pass and they will

realize it wasnt such a biggie. Happy Easter everyone! Hope you all

have a great weekend!

hugzzz

cassy

Re: Re: holidays and customs, not about beliefs or

faith

Very true Tina! Just recently, a couple of our (my hubby & I) friends

got in a huge fight over religion. They came to blows over it at work

and they lost their jobs. It all began because my hubby brought up a

show we had seen on the history channel. It was about the Adam and

Eve, but before Eve there was Lilith. People have their own opinions

of things thats for sure. And I am ok with that, I like to hear about

other religions too. Anyhow, two of our good friends hate each other

all because of differing thoughts on religion. I wish they could see

how silly they are being. The police even had to be called over it.

Jolie

[Guest guest]

We had fish sticks every Friday in school... shudder.... <G>

For us, today is Lazarus Saturday and tomorrow is Palm Sunday, the

beginning of Holy Week.

T

in WY

" You get a wonderful view from the point of no return... "

http://practical-blackwork.blogspot.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/liadains_fancies

> Love to you all,

> and is this not Good Friday tomorrow?

> I am so old that I can remember that in public

> school fish was always served on Fridays--I loved

> it! 

> n

>

[Guest guest]

How wonderful that their first holiday was so special! I hope they find

happy and productive lives now...

T

in WY

" You get a wonderful view from the point of no return... "

http://practical-blackwork.blogspot.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/liadains_fancies

Re: holidays and customs, not about beliefs or faith

Sorry you have met such bigoted people!

I had a quite beautiful experience of how different traditions can get to

blend in with each other this past Christmas. As we were getting ready to go

to my mother where we were going to spend Christmas I got a call from my

mother asking me to, if it wasn't to much trouble, go out and buy a

Christmas gift suitable for a three year old girl. Explaining that in her

line of work (she work at an agency coordinating different kinds of

volunteering work), she had been asked to find someone who could pick up a

young woman and her small child, recently arrived Somali refugees, at the

train station and drive them to the apartment where they would live

temporarily. Since it was so close to Christmas, it was hard finding someone

with that short notice, so my mother and her husband ended up doing that

themselves. But when they arrived at the apartment, it was empty, and mom

said she just couldn't bring herself to leave any human beings, and

traumatized ones even less, there, especially not over the holidays. I said:

" Empty? That's odd. If the immigration services have appointed them a

temporary living arrangement, one thinks they should have put furniture in

there too. " Mom answered (and this is so much her...blessed be her soul...):

" Yes, sure there were furniture, and bed linen, and toilet paper, and even

some kind of army issue soap. But there was no flowers, no paintings, no

books, nothing beautiful, nothing with soul. I am telling you, the place was

EMPTY. " I asked her if she was sure that they actually celebrated Christmas,

while assuring her that the woman and child of course were welcome in any

case: " No. They are Muslims. But no one has so far died from good food,

company and gifts. " Well, hard to argue with that...

I tried to think about what a three year old who has left everything she

ever had behind could possibly want, and came up with a teddy bear (for

comfort), and a book with pictures (because I know that I, already at that

age, would have been devastated without books). Not that my line of thinking

was very original, as it turned out on Christmas Eve when we opened

packages, but better a whole bunch of soft cuddly toys than nothing I

suppose... I got a gift for the mother as well, thinking about what mom said

about the " empty " apartment, and the lack of soul and beauty. I wanted to

buy something to decorate the place with, and thought of a candle stick in

red glass that I found quite beautiful, but then I came to think about how

someone once said that the obsession with candles was a very Swedish thing,

and I thought that maybe she wouldn't have any use for it. I ended up with a

decorative soap (it's the thought that counts..., and at least it was

something she could use).

When Christmas Eve came it suddenly occurred to me that so very much on a

regular " julbord " (Swedish traditional Christmas dinner, a version of the

perhaps more famous smörgåsbord), is made out of pork. First I got worried

that the woman and child wouldn't have enough to eat, but then I thought

about tha salmon, the herring, the anchovy gratin, the eggs, the potatoes,

the vegetables and the bread and cheese, and realized that they probably

wouldn't have to be hungry, at least. But still, it wouldn't feel right if

they could eat nothing from the meat part of the meal (you start with the

fish and go on to meat in the second part of the meal), so I went out to mom

in the kitchen where she was preparing the meal and asked: " Is there any

meat they could eat? " She answered that they could eat everything but the

ham, but that one " really doesn't have to eat ham " ... I thought that she

perhaps didn't think about the meat that goes into all the other stuff

(sausages, pâté's, meatballs etc) and so I said hesitatingly: " Are you

sure? " And she said: " Of course I am sure, silly! I took her with me when I

went shopping so she could show me what they can eat. " And she was actually

right. She had made the meatballs from meat that the woman had chosen, and

even if the taste was bit different from the most traditional Swedish

meatballs, it wasn't a that dramatic difference either. And the sausages

were made from chicken. She had also added falafel and olives to the

collection of dishes. And while I would never have thought of having olives

and falafel with a Swedish Christmas dinner, it was actually a very tasty

combination, worth repeating. I was amazed at how easy it was to adjust the

Swedish julbord to the halal practices. Well, except for the ham. But, like

my mom said, one really doesn't have to eat ham... I would have thought the

two concepts incompatible.

After dinner, during the opening of gifts, when the girl ran to her mother

to show a doll she had gotten, he mother started to cry. We, naturally,

asked her what was wrong. And she said that: " This is just like the perfect

end of Ramadan that I wanted to give my daughter this year, with all the

people and the food and the gifts. But I couldn't, because we were all alone

and I had nothing to give her. We didn't celebrate it at all this year, I

could see no point. And now, here she gets just that perfect Ramadan

anyway! " I was very humbled, and thought that from now on, I will always

remember that a good Christmas can be a perfect Ramadan at the same time,

where humans come together.

love

/Reb - or Bob as the little girl insisted on calling me...

> >

> > Yesterday at the first eve of Pesach, one of the

> > guests was Catholic; we ended up talking for

> > (really, honestly) nearly four hours between

> > parts of the ritual stuff and eating and chewing

> > while talking with our mouths full.  I learned more

> > about Catholicism than I have ever imagined knowing,

> > and was fascinated as the guy, who was my cousin's

> > guest, was so knowledgeable.  Retired attorney. 

> > Every religious holiday should bring people from

> > other religions together, I think--if only by accident.

> >

> > So, Happy whatever celebratory thing you do to every

> > one.  Our guest was fascinated with the similarities

> > to his own religion, as we were with his comments.

> > Made me feel good all over.

> >

> > Love to you all,

> > and is this not Good Friday tomorrow?

> > I am so old that I can remember that in public

> > school fish was always served on Fridays--I loved

> > it! 

> > n

> >

>

[Guest guest]

We didn't have a cafeteria in either grade school or high school. We had tuna fish sandwiches every Friday during Lent. The only problem was, there was no way to keep them cold. Soooo, the sandwich was always soggy from the oil you couldn't get out of the tuna. This was back in the day of no packed in spring water. There's nothing worse than soggy bread on a sandwich. I always open the tuna the day before, put it in a strainer overnight in the refrigerator, this way there really isn't any oil left, and by the time you have a sandwich, the bread doesn't get soggy.

For dinner during Lent on Fridays we would go get fish and chips from a place called Arthur Treachers. The store has been gone from here for years. I remember it being very good. I have to say that I really had great parents when I was growing up. It didn't matter, all the kids hung out at our house, coming over for breakfest before school, and having dinner with

us also, especially one of my older brother's friends. His parents weren't home a lot because of their work hours, he practically lived with us. During the summer my brothers and sisters worked at the zoo with my older brother's friend Tommy, they all worked for Tommy's dad. He wouldn't drive anyone home, so they all spent the night at our house. How many parents would want 6-10 other kids at their house on a constant basis when they already had 5 of their own. Plus we didn't have central air at the time and the summers got very hot. Everyone found someplace to sleep on the floor in the front room and the back bedroom, which was the best place to sleep because that's where the window air conditioner was.

Happy Easter to everyone.

Luv to you all,

Tina

Subject: RE: Re: holidays and customs, not about beliefs or faithTo: MSersLife Date: Saturday, April 11, 2009, 11:56 AM

We had fish sticks every Friday in school... shudder.... <G>For us, today is Lazarus Saturday and tomorrow is Palm Sunday, thebeginning of Holy Week. T in WY"You get a wonderful view from the point of no return..."http://practical- blackwork. blogspot. comhttp://www.flickr. com/photos/ liadains_ fancies> Love to you all,> and is this not Good Friday tomorrow?> I am so old that I can remember that in public> school fish was always served on Fridays--I loved> it! > n>

[Guest guest]

Happy, happy Easter to you and your family, Cassy!hugs and love, Kate Re: Re: holidays and customs, not about beliefs > or > faith> > > > > > > > > Very true Tina! Just recently, a couple of our (my hubby & I) friends> > got in a huge fight over religion. They came to blows over it > at work> > and they lost their jobs. It all began because my hubby brought > up a> > show we had seen on the history channel. It was about the Adam and> > Eve, but before Eve there was Lilith. People have their own opinions> > of things thats for sure. And I am ok with that, I like to hear about> > other religions too. Anyhow, two of our good friends hate each other> > all because of differing thoughts on religion. I wish they > could see> > how silly they are being. The police even had to be called over it.> > Jolie> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

[Guest guest]

Happy Easter to you all!

Jolie

> Happy, happy Easter to you and your family, Cassy!hugs and love, Kate-----

> Original Message -----From: payngabby@...: Saturday, April 11, 2009

> 5:03 pmSubject: Re: Re: holidays and customs, not about beliefs or

> faithTo: MSersLife > Hi Jolie! I saw that show! We watch

> alot of history channel. > That > stinks all that drama over a show and

> opinions. Isnt worth > losing > friendship or jobs over. Hopefully later

> it will all pass and > they will > realize it wasnt such a biggie. Happy

> Easter everyone! Hope you > all > have a great weekend!> hugzzz> cassy> > >

>

> Re: Re: holidays and customs, not about beliefs > or > faith> > > >

>> > > > > Very true Tina! Just recently, a couple of our (my hubby & I)

> friends> > got in a huge fight over religion. They came to blows over it >

> at work> > and they lost their jobs. It all began because my hubby brought

>> up a> > show we had seen on the history channel. It was about the Adam

> and> > Eve, but before Eve there was Lilith. People have their own

> opinions> > of things thats for sure. And I am ok with that, I like to hear

> about> > other religions too. Anyhow, two of our good friends hate each

> other> > all because of differing thoughts on religion. I wish they > could

> see> > how silly they are being. The police even had to be called over it.>

>> Jolie> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

>