Hello Readers and welcome back! Life is so busy isn’t it? I know it has been for me... I took a 2 week stay-cation and am already nearing the end of it already. The last 2 days I actually was able to relax a bit, even reflect. I hope I get a few more days like these within the last 5 days of vacation...
This has been the first Christmas where I was no longer part of the Judeo-Christian faith and without the mental baggage that comes with that. That took longer to get rid of than other things that come with going through some type of “enlightenment” in your religious thinking. I might not be a Christian anymore but I do hold Yeshua (Jesus in his native tongue (Hebrew)) in high regard. He has the most followers out of any religion... ever. Most Christians seem to be actually paying attention to “The Good Book” realizing his birthday was really in the Fall, most likely in late October, not on 12/25/0000, unlike what I have noticed in past years upon reflection. His birth year being anywhere from 2 BC and 7 CE..., but I digress, that is a entirely different topic and direction. I think the majority of Americans (even the devout Christians) just looked at it for what it really is... a time for family getting together and spending time together... Yes, there is commercialism and it gets worse every year, but that will always remain, even in a Recession or otherwise, but it seemed like the gifts were just a bonus to an already great moment this year...
2 years ago I would have been thinking “what a pagan holiday” due to the holiday placement (12/25) given that I was subscribing to the Messianic Judaism faith (which they do not celebrate his birth, per se, they just know it is somewhere around the Festival of Sukkoth, as most devotees already know). That is just a morsel of stupidity that specific religion can cause. Either you are a Christian or Jew, period. There can be some grey but there is a requirement for the largest parallels of these faiths to remain parallel. Anyway, there are a lot of ancient pagan holidays or pagan holy days that are on or are around 12/25 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is what the majority of the world uses), and a lot of the Messianic Jews point this out as a pagan holiday due to them coinciding with each other. When I was “enlightened” (Keep in mind I am a Buddhist and no I do not mean I have reached Buddhahood or anything like that I am speaking in a completely secular tone) back in middle to late 2010 I started to “lose” this pagan idea, actually completely discarding it, but now it is completely gone and it feels so much better to view Christmas how it should be... a good gathering of loving family members that truly care about one another... instead of this pagan holiday that the Romans created after Christianity was made the Roman empire’s Official Religion with Emperor Constantine on the throne (which is inaccurate, just coincidental).
Keep in mind this thread is not to make people look down on Messianic Jews (both of Jewish and Gentile bloodlines (who actually are the majority in this 70 year or so long movement)). It was what I heard at the local congregation and from its leaders (I am using that term loosely as I think he is a highway to a lower plane, and Karma will make sure they gets theirs) when I attended there with my mother. That is another topic too... the fact that they have brainwashed my mother by twisting the information she has mentioned to them to make her see their way. She was a powerful Christian woman before that and I have seen that Messianic Congregation tear people away from real truth from their good Christian selfs because they were looking for a deeper truth... I have a distaste for them, and I know Karma will give them what they deserve. What I cannot believe is why they cannot figure out why neither the Jews or Christian will claim the movement... hhhmmmm... I wonder why???
Both Judaism and Christianity are both good religions if applied CORRECTLY, which they usually aren’t but more and more are finally starting to realize you just need to be good to yourself and others, and that is enough, and if it isn’t and Buddhism is a false religion and either 2 are right I guess I will burn. However, I will gladly burn if being a good person to yourself and others is not enough because I will not serve a hypocrite. They is NO grey in good.
Throughout my Blog since its inception you have noticed me slam Christianity and the other 2 Abrahamic faiths hypocrisies but always holding the people practicing the faiths correctly in high regard. Know why? Let me tell you... I have noticed one thing specifically that I really do not like within the Abrahamic faiths. That being that the main institutions of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity since their inception is about one thing... absolute control of everything you, and the world, does. How long did the Pope rule Europe and most of the world??? Yeah, that is what I thought... Anyway, people who apply the religion correctly are good people as the holy scriptures state you must hold yourself responsible for all actions and that there are consequences, creating high moral values... This holds true no matter what faith you subscribe to (at least for the larger ones)...
I respect all major Prophets that came from the “God” (I used quotes around God because I am a Buddhist and do not believe in a “Creator God”) of Abraham. I do not want anyone thinking I am disrespecting your faith because I am not... I hold your religion in as high regard as I do my own, and who knows we may both be right? My best friend(s) are Christians, so that should tell you something. I guess time will tell who is correct... What if we are both wrong?... That would make a whole lot pointless wouldn’t it?... for those who worry about caring. If you are acting as you should be in order to be a good person you should have no worries correct? Yeah, that is what I thought.
So I hope I got your brain churning productively in some way. Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it, Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate it, Happy Kwanza to those who celebrate it, and a Happy Gregorian New Year to all!!!!
Santi,
-automachi
Thee Logical Spiritualist
