Thursday, March 23, 2006

Wanderlust and Irreverence

We’re excited! We’re making plans to get out of town for Easter weekend!

Wait... Is it still called “Easter?” I have a hard time keeping up with all the politically correct names for holidays.

In fact, is the term “holiday” still OK? I mean, that’s just a shortened version of “holy day.” Can we still call things holy?

Yeah, I think that word is OK, because we’ve debased it though such usage as “holy cow,” and “holy sh**.” And I still see references in the press to such things as the “High Holy Days” of Islam. But of course that’s okay, because all religions other than the traditional Judeo-Christian branches are part of the cult of “diversity” which we as a nation seem to worship.

Even within that Judeo-Christian belief set, you still have to be careful. We all heard and read this year that the old Christmas tree was now called a Holiday tree to avoid offending anyone, right? Well, there are some fundamental Christians who deplore any reference to a tree during December because the decorated tree has pagan connotations and origins! Horror!

Then there are those (Jehovah’s Witnesses and others) who quote the New Testament scriptures that seem to indicate that the special observation of any day “above another” is not what God wants. They observe no day as special. Or holy.

What do I mean when I say we worship “diversity?” Oh, YOU know what I mean. It’s OK to discuss various “myths” and “faiths” and “religious beliefs” in a detached, clinical way. But if we give any indication that you personally believe any of it, folks tend to take a step back away from you and look at you like you may be contagious. To have a curiosity or academic interest in those beliefs from a “cultural” basis is fine; even encouraged. But if you actually believe those things? My goodness, how quaint!

So, back to my first question: If I speak of Easter in reference to bunnies and eggs and candy, it’s probably all right. Any reference to pagan rites of Spring are marginally okay. But if I mention Christ’s resurrection... Oooo, I think I just stepped over the line.

Had enough of all that? OK, then!

Back to my travel plans. I have a three-day weekend April 14-16, and I plan to take my camper trailer and drive three hours to Kerrville, Texas. We’ll probably leave Thursday afternoon after work and try to set up our trailer before dark.

Why are we making plans NOW, so far in advance? I don’t know — that’s just what we do. For us, a big part of the fun is in the planning and anticipation. By thinking about the trip for weeks, making reservations for a camp site and for tee times at distant golf courses make the trip seem that much longer.

Then, starting on that (Good) Friday morning, it’ll be GOLF, GOLF, GOLF for the rest of the weekend.

I KNOW all of you are excited for us!

(In an irreverent sort of way.)

4 comments:

Shesawriter said...

I make a point to post the words, Jesus, Christmas tree and anything else dealing with my faith, traditions, holidays ... etc... on my blog or wherever else the topic comes up. Why? Because sometimes it seems 'tolerance' is given to everyone else BUT Christians.

Tanya

Anonymous said...

yeah, and those who preach "tolerance" are typically the same ones who don't want you to use any potentially "religious"-sounding words because there's a chance someone may be offended.

Personally my motto is more like "live and let live" - mind your own business before everybody else's.

Hale McKay said...

A staunch atheist once told me that he didn't believe in God. I simply replied, "God doesn't believe in you!"

I remember a cartoon once with a boy spray painting on a fence "God is dead, Johnny."
...He walked around the corner and saw a large hand from above spray painting on another fence "Johnny is dead, GOd."

Anonymous said...

This religious stuff really does my head in, over here some concils have renamed Christmas to Winterfest so that other religions don't get offended ?!?!?

Absolutely drives me mental, I have no problem with any other religions having festivals etc, so why the hell do the council think that somebody who's sikh, muslim, jew is going to be offended by it ???