BlogHer - religion - Comments

Thanks for sharing your favorite podcasts Kia and Tracy

Britt Bravo — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:20:36 -0500

Tracy - Do you mean that you get updates of new podcasts in Google Reader, or that you have them show up on your iGoogle page--or both!

Top 5 Podcasts

Kia — Sat, 16 May 2009 08:45:36 -0500

The Sound of Young America

The Splendid Table

Sound Opinions

Democracy Now!

Tell Me More

And there are tons more...

My husband had an ipod years before I did because I was a happy dinosaur with my music cds and ratty cassette tapes. Once I finally wised up, I couldn't believe the number of fantastic shows that were now available to me.

Kia

http://theseagreenhouse.blogspot.com

My favorites

TracyD — Sat, 16 May 2009 08:11:38 -0500

I love pod casts. Sometimes I cannot work without listening to my favorite local radio program. Sometimes it is an hour old, other times it can be a week old, but I don’t care since I have my buddies in my ear.

My favorite podcast is The Wallstreet Journal This Morning. This is up to date information regarding business and trends. The hosts are fun to listen to and give their funny sidebar comments. You can find these free podcasts in Google Reader gadget and on iTunes. I have it on my Google page where I can get to it immediately and I also download all my favorites into my iTunes where I can carry all of them with me while traveling and working out. (Ok, I am a talk show junkie!).

Thanks for the article.

-Tracy

Something to believe in..

Peppermint Patty — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:37:35 -0500

I did provide my daughters with something to believe in--themselves. When all is said and done the only person you can trust and rely on is oneself.

Peppermint Patty

Give'em Something to believe in...

korivin — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 06:05:50 -0500

I totally understand your view on letting your child decide on his own about his religious views. I was raised strict Roman Catholic and am wondering now if it has done more harm than good. However, it is a crazy world out there, in or out of the church environment. A strong belief system including a loving God can make a huge difference in a developing mind. Knowing the true difference between right and wrong and how to make good choices for not only ourselves but, for others is crucial. This strength that is often learned in a religious forum, can give your child the strength to withstand negative peer pressure which every child needs as well as coping skills which will aid them in life.

I am not saying that this needs to be learned at church but, often it can be learned better coming from a group environment. When parents don't make religion part of a child's upbringing sometimes they are lapsed in teaching the tools that help our children deal successfully with life in the real world.

www.mylittlecornerdesign.com

Not going to church.

Peppermint Patty — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:11:52 -0500

"All of this is not just people being nice to other people. This is the Power of God at work."

Nancy,

I'm quite capable of being a "nice" person on my own. I don't need the threat of hell to make me so.

Peppermint Patty

Reasons for not going to church

njgeiger — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:47:05 -0500

Tonight I'm actually doing a devotion at our church council meeting about reasons people don't go to church. In reading through the above comments, I'm thinking you haven't found the right church.

There are many types of churches that appeal to different people. When you find the right one it is a joy to be there surrounded by other believers.

In my devotion I give true stories from people about why they don't go to church and then say this:

These were stories from interviews that happened a while ago, but when my brother is visiting today he hears the same stories. These are real stories. Stories from real people. People who have hurts. People who see themselves, as far as the church is concerned, as outsiders. Jesus always welcomed people. He touched them. He healed them. There are stories of healing in this congregation. Plenty of them. They happened because people reached out to touch others, and when they did, the Power of God came and there was healing. People who were having surgery had food and love brought to their homes. People who were troubled found someone to listen. People who were alone found friends. People who had to grieve discovered that they didn’t have to grieve alone. People who had joys found others with whom they could share them. People who had a need to help others found projects and activities through which they could channel their energies. People whose children or parents were having problems found others who said they had been there and done that. All of this is not just people being nice to other people. This is the Power of God at work. It is God using people to bring healing and wholeness and cleansing into our lives.

The love and kindness and compassion that we experience in our church are never to be hoarded among ourselves, because they are not ours to hoard – they are the love and kindness and compassion that came from the Power of God. And if we try to keep this compassion to ourselves, to make it inward, then we have perverted it, and it is no longer the compassion of Jesus, whose healing went to the outsider.

Nancy

Children & Religion

Peppermint Patty — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:42:53 -0500

As my daughters grew-up, we never took them to church. While on vacation, when they were still to young to absorb the teachings, I did let my mom take them a few times. I knew how important it was to her to "show off" her grandchildren. I also knew she was disappointed we didn't take the girls to church, yet at the sametime relieved we didn't follow my husband's catholic up bringing. The end results are, one daughter is borderline atheist and the other has a degree in religous studies and considers herself pagen. Its always good to expose children to many of life's choices.

I'm just not sure I believe

BeautifulWreck — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:47:36 -0500

I'm just not sure I believe in the organizations of man right now.

I so agree with this statement. I really related to your post as well. I am feeling very disconnected in the present church we attend. I currently have some commitments to the church that are coming to an end, and when they do, I believe I will be "dating" different churches to see if I can find a better fit.

Kim

Beautiful Wreck

http://lotsoflaundry.blogspot.com/

I was raised in an Assembly

shelleyp — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:48:40 -0500

I was raised in an Assembly of God Church, and when I moved to Seattle, actually joined the Jesus People, and then Children of God when I was 16. If you're not familiar with the Children of God, it was considered one of the worst religious cults in the country at one time.

I am an atheist. I was taught atheism in church, by hearing what was said by the preacher and the members, and then comparing the words with their behavior. They were a wonderful testament to their faith. Living in Missouri, home of the buckle of the bible belt, I can say with complete surety that many of the "faithful" here validate my atheist decision, almost on a daily basis.

I would say that you need show no more tolerance than you're given in return. After all, what were you taught? An eye for an eye?

I've compromised

AmberS — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:41:59 -0500

A few years before my daughter was born I started attending a Unitarian church. I find a nice balance there - she learns about Christianity, as well as many other religions and religious practices. I like that she has a religious community there, and that she's learning more than I can teach her. But at home we do focus more on the Christian holidays and practices.

It's sort of a compromise. It's organized, but not in the way the churches I used to attend were organized. It's not perfect, but for now it's working well enough.

~ Amber

www.strocel.com

Sigh

TW — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:11:32 -0500

I need to go to church for Easter. My mother needs it. I need it. I am not looking forward to it. I am not looking forward to grabbing reluctant children. I am not forward to the new person stares...though I have to admit that waiting until Easter has been in part deliberate. Who knows who is really new and who is really a twice a year church person on Easter Sunday?

But...the very community I love about a church family has the same drawbacks as a family in a way. Can I pick a traditional enough church for my mother that will feel good to me the lesbian mom of 6...and some of those 6 are very definitively not Christian?

~TW
Retro-Food

You're so not alone.

Rita Arens — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 09:30:15 -0500

I've been surprised by the response to Homeschooling Religion (my take). I think we're all sort of searching for a new way to handle faith. Somehow organized religion has gotten off-track, or else the good ones are hiding themselves well. :)

Rita Arens writes at Surrender Dorothy and BlogHer and is the editor of Sleep is for the Weak.

A thought...

AJacobsen — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:08:13 -0500

My first thought when I read your post was the scripture in James chapter 1, verse 5 that says "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." (KJV)

If you are torn, pray and ask God what you should do, which church you should attend, etc. Pray in faith believing, and you'll get your answer. Pray with patience for the time when God deems right to answer your prayers, even if it takes longer than you think you can wait. The end result will be perfection, as we know God's timing is always perfect!

I'll be praying for you too!

I agree with...

LisaBrandos — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 14:55:18 -0500

Monica. You've got to keep trying, but your job is to teach her at home. We "dated" a lot of different churches too. Finally we found one that taught the Bible (not a psychology lesson with Scripture), where we were welcomed and REMEMBERED week after week. I wouldn't focus so much on denomination and tenets, and focus more on what is being taught and how the church treats its members.

I write about faith and church too, amongst many other ramblings. Check out my blog.