Tony and I had a very enjoyable day today, as our eldest child, Jennifer came over for Sunday Lunch. My other child Andrew and his new wife Gemma, are travelling in South America for 3 months. Jenny brought with her a Green and Black's plain chocolate egg and a three ( yes l said 3!) different Green and Black plain chocolate bars. Yummy... but not really the reason for Easter l hear some people saying. This doesn't upset me but l can image it concerning some religious people. I know a lot of people who send Easter cards and go to church at Easter and are not at all religious normally. I suppose it is like Christmas, suddenly people go to Midnight Mass never showing any religious feeling at any other time of the year. Are they backing their chances of going to heaven when they die or is it something deeper? I often ask people why and l am quite often surprised in the replies l get. I remember last year having asked a mixed group of slightly drunk mid twenty year olds, why they were at Midnight Mass? Some of their answers were, " It sort of gives me a familar feeling and makes me feel better and not so far from home"( African student).." it makes me feel l will be ok for the next year"...." It feels right" ...."Well, it is what my parents did every year and so l just do it out of habit l suppose, but l do enjoy it"..."It is something to do to get Christmas started isn't it"..." I love the ceremony and granduar of it all" and the last one.." Well it makes me feel l have marked my card for the year, incase something happens to me !". Quite a mixture of answers and l was also quite interested, that not one of them went to church on Sunday as a norm. I remember the vicar saying, that he wished his Sunday Services were a quarter as full as this, on a normal Sunday! At this point l have to admit, l was there because l love the theatrical aspect of a High Church ceremony, especially the incense and the chanting! I don't feel guilty just enjoy the situation for what it is..high drama!
Christmas Day to me, when l was young was Church, presents, lunch, the Queen's speech, games and family. When l was a teenager, l taught Sunday School and sang in the choir but as l grew older, l found my own voice and realised l no longer believed in a God that sat in a chair in the sky and watched everything l did. After my Father-in-law died in his mid 50's, life seemed so cruel. I began to look at religion and started to see that all the wars and most of the problems in the world were one why or another to do with religion. Ok... that is a bit simplified and l am not that simple, that l believe it is that uncomplicated. But for example, at first glance..Northern Ireland is Catholic against Protestant, Iraq war is Muslims against the unbelievers, Jews against Arabs in Israel and so on. Yes there is a deeper reason in each of these situations but religion is in there no matter which why you cut the cake. Another thing that l find so wrong with the The Catholic faith, is its stand on the use of condoms, this simple command means people are dying because of Aids, woman are having too many babies and living in poverty, all because of this command from their churchl! The Pope, can tell men and woman what they can and can't do in their persnonal lives..he is not married, shouldn't have sex and has no children. What can he tell people about life, when he lives in such rich surrounding and has all his need catered for? You only have to look at most Cathelic churches, there is always gold, amazing cloth and so on and a large proporation of the people, that go to church are POOR. When l spent time in Guatemala, l was so upset to see all this money, that had been spent in their beautiful, richly painted and ornate churches and be surrounded by so much povety at the same time, makes no sense to me at all. you have little money and yet you give to your church! Madness in my mind!
Of course, as a Counsellor, my thoughts and believes do not come into my work. I am there to help people with their issues , l am not sayng it is always easy but l try very hard to keep them out of my proffesional life. I treat many people of all faiths and persuations and think l am fair and honest in my behaviour. I have met a few Counsellors/Therapists that only treat Christian couples and l respect that decision. A few of my clients are gay and l remember once being asked by a Cathalic friend of mine, how l could treat these people as their lives were so agasinst every that god teaches? We had, l am ashamed to say a very heated discussion and she never spoke to me again. Shame.
In my line of work, l am often asked how l deal people who self harm and am l not tempted just to tell them to stop seeking to be the centre of attention? I am glad when people ask this because it means l can start to educate them these issues. Self harming is not only about cutting, burning, biting and so on but body issues such as anorexia. The general public seem so uneducated on these subjects even though there is so much out there in the Media and the Internet! I wish that more doctors could spot these children/teenager/adults with self-harming earlier and send them to Counsellors, instead of saying in the younger person, "Oh they will grow out of it" and believe me l still hear this from parents all the time. The other problem is there isn't enough NHS counsellors to cope with all these adults and even less to deal with childreen and teenagers.
Anyway.....after my rant, l still hope you all enjoy your chocolate eggs and have seen some of your family or friends this weekend!xx
1 comment:
my religous beliefs have dwindled & finally disappeared over the years & now I do T'ai Chi I simply connect with Mother Earth for my spirituality.
We do celebrate Christmas & Easter though as a time for giving sharing celebrating.
I miss the Church services I attended when the children were at primary school.
I've told two very Christian friends that I'd go to a Church that didn't have the religion thrown in !
Post a Comment