Nov. 05, 2004 - 21:15 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

Wondering

I am sorry, my apologies to whoever thinks that I MUST think the way they think I should. I will NOT do it.

Some of my thoughts and opinions.

I feel a woman should have complete control over her body, she and her doctor should be the only persons involved in her decisions. For the most part I am not too sure one way or another, but guess that these women who feel they must terminate a pregnancy are not members of the churches that try to harass them when they approach a medical facility.

In my mind, a pastor and or a congregation have the perfect right to tell a woman that if she terminates her pregnancy she shall no longer be welcome as a member of that church. That is their right. But to try to get laws passed and laws reversed I feel that the Church is meddling with the state IN DEPTH.

Then there is the war of definitions. Marriage is a loaded one. There are many ways that the word marriage is used, and abused. Now is another time people who feel one way about things are trying to force the rest of us to live and think as they do.

I can see that here is another place that a pastor and congregation can say that gay people are not welcome in their church building, nor as members. That is their prerogative. But to try to get laws passed that would outlaw marriage between people of the same sex ?

Many people of the same sex have been together faithfully more years than most marriages between heterosexuals last, with less bickering and cheating as well. So if they decide to marry and marry in a church that accepts them, who on earth has the right to say that it is not legal ? Yet there are laws preventing that in many states. But whether the law or other people admit it, those people are wedded as much as heterosexuals can be, as far as I am concerned. And to forbid them membership in a congregation, although their right, it does seem to me to be against all the precepts to which they ascribe.

Those are just two of the things people are fighting about. There are more, many more.

Seems to me that most of us should get our heads straight and say, "Well, he - or she - thinks differently than I do. But that party is law abiding, kind, friendly, helpful and many other good things. We actually believe in the same things together -- except for," -- and that is the sticker -- why not strike, "except for" and get on with trying to make a free country as we would like it to be.

That might explain the divisiveness among all of us and display our present circumstances. If we worked together as sensible tolerant people there is no forecasting what we could accomplish.

To me, if someone is not threatening to harm me or mine, interfere with my making a living, and minds their own business and allows me to do also, there is no reason to hate or work against them or try to get laws passed to mess their lives up.

Is there no compassion between different people anymore ? All the thumpers out there, isn't there a lesson about a "good Samaritin," helping someone not of their breeding ?

Should I be forced from any church because I have had a vasectomy ? Or because I am an alcholic in recovery ? Or a woman be unchurched because she no longer has a womb or ovaries, her tubes tied ? No matter what reason some group wishes to use, to my mind it is excrable to try to make some one else fit their molds.

Is it beyond our abilities to live and let live, even though not understanding another's reasoning ? What are we ? A bunch of finger pointing, quibbling and blackballing throwbacks to a time long ago ?

Why aren't we addressing the economic problems of our country or the violations of our civil rights ?

As much as I ponder, read and try to find answers -- on this I am still Wondering . . . . . . . . . . .

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