All things churchy

I was reading over some of my archives yesterday and realized something…I haven’t written a real post in quite some time. Man, I used to spew here. LOL! I had a very strange dream last night that has prompted my topic today. It really has been culminating in a few places in my life the past week or so. Religion. Yep, here is the Queenie take on that subject.

I grew up in a traditional working class home in the midwest. We spent our Sundays being a family. And that didn’t include church. Grannie went and prayed for all of us so none of the kids and grandkids needed to. Atleast that was pretty much what I was told. I got older, and found myself in the midst of a bible study among friends. No church involved. Just a bunch of us freaks wanting to learn the bible. I learned quite a bit about that book. I also learned that I wanted to attend church. So off I went. I got baptized into the Church of Christ at the ripe age of 24. So did my soon to be husband. I studied every inch of the bible that I could with everyone that was willing to study with me. From all walks of life. Catholics, Jewish, Baptists…I just learned. I had questions. Some the church answered. Some were swept under the rug and misplaced..and not by me. I began to feel like there was more than what I was looking at in this book. In the midst of this, my marriage fell apart and I wound up divorced. The friends that I had cultivated over the course of 8 years…turned their backs on me. Christian people. Yeah. Sucks huh? I thought so too.

I wound up in Miami where I had met a wonderful man who…”wasn’t of the christian mind set”. He had studied a bit with some friends who were Jehovah’s Witness. My current hub. We are both what I call, self taught. If there is something that interests us, we learn about it. We read about it. We talk to people. Religion has always fascinated me soooo off we went. Seeking knowledge. My new found freedoms from the church led me to also look into the old Pagan religions. I didn’t really look at that as a form of practicing, but more from an aspect that I wanted to understand people better. I wound up really getting sucked into Wicca. It fascinated me. It called my name. All of the questions that were swept under the rug earlier in my life, came to the forefront and were answered. Quite literally. It is a spiritual sector that is sadly misrepresented and misunderstood. So much so, that I am careful whom I share my thoughts with. I currently still have many christian friends. Some of them, I can only imagine will think that I am a satanist if I mention Wicca to them. In reality, my opinion, Wiccans have the purest set of beliefs that I have encountered. They have faith. It is not aimed at a figure. Their faith is in earth. They are also the most peaceful group that I have found. They aren’t pretentious. They are not fake in their beliefs. They just are who they are. They respect and love no matter what the situation. Including a divorce. Wiccans don’t parade themselves as being a superior anything. They just live each day. They are thankful.

I have had several odd things that have occurred in my life. From childhood on. Things that I have mentioned here from time to time. These things would never be welcomed in a structured religion. I kept them quiet for a number of years while I was a member of the Church of Christ. These things, are a part of who I am though. I have learned to appreciate these oddities that surround me as gifts. I don’t consider myself a witch. I suppose on some aspects I am. Another thing that they kind of frown on in a church setting. LOL!

Basically, I have finally found a place where I am peaceful. I am happy. I have my beliefs about this world, god/goddesses, love, marriage and family. I do not need some dimwit at a pulpit to tell me how to think or what to believe. The bible is a great history book. But that is pretty much all that it is to me. I live my life to be happy. Period. I do not attend church. At least not in a building wearing my Sunday best. My church is everywhere around me. I visit it each time I look outside. Each time I drive my kids to the park. Each day that I get to spend breathing in the air. Spiritual days to me are the ones where we are out hiking and soaking up everything that is alive. I celebrate Halloween as the day that it is. The pagan day of celebrating the harvest and the coming of winter. Not a day to worship Satan. I celebrate Easter and Christmas. Christmas is still the birthday of Jesus to me. And although THAT in itself is a Christian thing, to me, it’s an important part of the history of our world. Same for Easter. They are no different spiritually to me than Independence Day is. I still pray. Only sometimes it is to a woman figure depending on what is going on in my life. I try to step out during each full moon and get some energy. I also soak up the sun as well as a good rain shower. I gaze at the stars and think about how miniscule I am on earth while being a HUGE part of the world. I believe that my actions can change things for others. I influence people in what I hope is a positive way. Sometimes, I do things that may appear as magic. My goal is always to help people and make them feel good.

So…with all of that said, tell me that Wicca is a bad thing. Tell me that I am not a good person. Tell me that I will be cast into a horrible place after I leave this earth because I didn’t go to a building and let someone tell me how to think. Yeah. I didn’t think so. I can tell you, after my soul is done with my current body, I will be back, running free through the woods with my loyal friends and family. I will party all night if I want to. I will stare at the moon. I will bask in the sun. I will still be beautiful and I will make a difference to the world. I am also pretty damn convinced that I will be with my husband. He is my soul mate. I knew that the first time we touched.

I still to this day can not understand how anyone can cast judgement on another person or being. I have a really hard time with people who announce to the world that they are christians and then behave in a way that is so vile and mean. How can any 1 person stand and pretend that they are better than anyone? Are we not all human with our own brain and own thoughts? Who is to say that my way is right or wrong? In reality, it is a question that will never be answered or proven. How do we really know that there is a place called heaven? Because the bible says so? I can pick up a book that was written before my time and read that I am supposed to sacrifice a goat at each full moon. How come that isn’t right? Because Christians don’t think so? Why are Christians better than everyone else? See my point? Yep. I will chose peace and happiness. In the way that feels best to me. I won’t push my beliefs on anyone. I will not cast judgement on anyone who has other beliefs. I will simply enjoy people and enjoy life.

Ciao. 

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