[HPFGU-OTChatter] Religion (was Happy Easter!)

[Dinah]

Ebony's over-cautious warnings before sharing something that obviously is
important to her - and is relogious, too - I just wanted to bring something
up that I've been pondering for quite some time now.

I was christened Roman-Catholic but discovered that paganism is the right
way for me when I was still pretty young. At first I was in this typical
Christianity-denying phase that ranted about the Crusades, Witch-Burnings,
Women being discriminated, the Sex-Issues often discussed. But I still go to
religion classes in school, I'm even going to write one of my final exams in
religion.

And I am just learning to see the bible as a book with lots of useful advise
and wisdom. I don't take it literally, many parts of it are ficion, but it's
fiction with a purpose - teaching humans to be better beings (at least parts
of it - we'll not talk about all the advice about how to murder people that
don't believe in the same god as you do... that comes from a cultural
difference that is completely out of perspective compared to modern society)

What really makes me wonder is: Why is it so difficult to talk about
religion without getting upset about confessions? I mean, with tolerance and
a bit of willingness to try to understand what the other persons belief is
about it shouldn't be too difficult to share a good discussion or the joy of
religion and what it gives to us.

For me, easter only means aester eggs and too much chocolate - for most
other people in my area it's a holy day. That doesn't mean *I* have to get
upset about it - just as I expect others to respect my beliefs and holidays.
I don't see the difficulty.

BTW, in Germany, dancing is forbiden by law from Thursday over Good Friday
to Easter Sunday. Is this normal in other countries, too? I mean, in a
country with thousands of people who leave the church every year and state
church being forbidden this seems really old-fashioned and one-sided.
Everywhere people eat on the streets during Ramadan, although in some parts
of our cities there live more Turkish then German, just to name one example.

 ~ Dinah ~

ICQ: 10 44 52 471
YM: bludger_witch

It is good to have an end to journey toward;
but it is the journey that matters, in the end.

~ Ursula K. Le Guin



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