Blitz Post #2

[altarflame]

There is a lot of very compelling ecumenism in my religion class - which I raved about here - that makes me think. One Saturday was all about "health and spirituality", citing studies that show things like open heart surgery patients being three times more likely to survive if they depend on a (any) religion, and the increased immune function of people who attend (any) religious services weekly. The lists of pros to being spiritual even in a philosophical (Buddhist, for instance) or solitary (meditation and feng shui) way is extremely long, and significant to (at least what I see as) quality of life - decreased stress, sense of connectedness, supportive community, meaning in loss, and a bunch of other things I can't remember right now.

We watched Baraka, and I was genuinely shocked to find we were looking at the inside of a Sufi (mysticism of Islam) temple in the middle east, because I had been sure it was Orthodox (mysticism of) Christianity - the priests dress the same, with the same hair and beards, and carry the same swinging incense past candles and everyone is kissing things and they have something locked up front that looks just like a tabernacle.

I sometimes find all this not in conflict with Christianity and very comforting overall; other times it seems to speak to a larger truth I can't quite put my finger on, but have been pondering over for years. Then it all blurs.

I'm sitting here staring at the word "larger" in the last paragraph.

---

(Sorry for the weird angles in a couple of these)

The mushroom soup I mentioned last night, full of spring onions and garlic and chicken and beef broths...I puree some of it and add it back in at the end. Yum.


We went over to Kristin's for the afternoon/evening last Saturday. Grant was working on her chicken coop and she made awesomely delicious spring rolls for us.

Chopped veggies.


Plus sprouts and boiled up rice noodles and a pack of spinach just out of the shot.


Kristin wrapping, Aaron and Oliver soaking more rice paper wrappers.






It's hard to be patient, especially when the cooks are taking their sweet time chatting and changing the music and feeding things to the bird.


She crushed a bunch of garlic and ginger into some soy sauce, too, and got out some rooster sauce. Kristin's big on presentation, there is lots more sauce out of the shot.

Mmm, pocky.



Kids love them!


Especially with fancy little glasses of pink tea.



More to come...

Comments

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

Christianity had deeply infiltrated the culture that later became Muslim. Sufi mysticism is directly related to Orthodox mysticism, just as Islam grew out of a culture heavily influenced by Christians, Jews, and ancient animism. As an Orthodox Christian, I obviously believe that Islam changed and corrupted the Christian beliefs. Muslims would obviously say they corrected them. It is no accident that they look and act so similarly. Truth is Truth. Finding the heart of that truth is where we all end up going our own ways. As I keep pointing out the truths in ancient myths and beliefs to my own kids as we study them, show them the truths we believe running like threads through history, so we all have to look for that common ground.

I love your pictures.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

This is a great comment, thank you :)

[(Anonymous)]

Just as those who followed the pre-Christian traditions would say that Christianity stole from paganism (Christmas, Easter, anyone?) and corrupted them. Everyone steals from everyone else, all pretending their religion is the most pure and correct.

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

As I said, we are all influenced by each other and by history.

Those who truly believe never pretend. I don't see it as stealing either. Is not truth available to everyone?

[(Anonymous)]

I think what you've said is true in relation to culture, but I can never understand how it works in terms of religions. All cultures are influenced by one another and it's generally not stealing unless it's in the case of appropriation by the dominant culture, but no culture claims to be presenting any sort of ultimate truth. If I'm going to believe something is true (lets forget about the evidence part for a bit), how can I if I know it's taken bits and pieces from other places that are a bit different, but also claim to be true? Christianity and Islam stem from Judaism, which makes enough sense since they came into being as separate doctrines due to the whole messiah thing.
But before they (islam and christianity) existed, there was Paganism and Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrianism is a different religion with a different god but was the first monotheistic religion with a very similar story in terms of afterlife and creation. Paganism has all the rituals and celebrations that Christianity took on and changed around a bit. So if you're after ultimate truth in terms of religion, how can you believe anything from any comparatively "newer" religion when the source material is right there? How could it have come straight from god when it already existed?
So, saying we're all influenced by history is obviously true. But in terms of culture, the Italians obviously cannot claim Ultimate Truth in terms of their food culture, because the got the centrepiece from China. If they tried, people would say "but pasta originated in China". Well, the concept of one god, heaven, hell and the exact story of how satan came into being originated with Zoroastrianism. As another poster said, Easter originated with Paganism. Obviously you believe that this line of thinking applies to Islam, so do you apply it to Christianity?

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

The thing is so many people seem to think that if there are similarities between religions that must mean that none of them are true. Why? And why, if Christianity adopted and fulfilled the practices of other religions does that have to mean Christianity "stole" those things because they didn't have their own truth, instead of meaning that Christianity recognized the inherent Truth in those ancient practices? Most people don't seem to realize just how old Judaism is. And the fact it has similarities to Sumerian and Persion beliefs should be a point in its favor as historically/religiously accurate.

So I guess I'd say that, yes, I do apply this to Christianity. I believe that God has worked throughout history to reveal Himself to us. I have chosen, after much research and prayer, to believe that His truth is most purely expressed through His revelations to the Jews and then, to the Jews first and then the rest of the world, through Jesus Christ. I believe He worked in all cultures well before He molded the Jewish people to be his vehicle of Salvation and that He continues to work through them. But I am not an universalist. I believe there is a Pure Truth and I constantly pray to find it and live it.

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

Just as an example of the strong relationship between Zoroastrianism and Christianity that does not at all negate the Truths I believe, tradition indicates that the "Three Wise Men" that came to visit the Christ Child were actually Magi, or Magicians, Zoroastrian priests. The tradition goes that when the Jews were in captivity in Babylon, a man named Daniel (of the lion's den fame) rose very high in Babylonian government and religion (he may be a symbol of many young Jewish men who did this, who knows) and shared his Israelite beliefs and prophecies with the religious elite of Persian society. Probably both religious cultures influenced each other deeply. Does that mean God did not act? Not to me. It means He planted the seed of His Messiah deep into the beliefs of both the Israelites and the Zoroastrians. And some from both belief systems found Him and believed in Him. Israelite shepherds and Persian wisemen. To me...this smacks of Truth, passed down through generations and through many cultures.

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

I could give examples like this from Paganism as well. As I have taught my children Greek, Roman, and Norse myths in history/literature studies, I've been amazed by these threads, similarities. Yes, figuring out how they all fit together and "choosing" which one is most Pure seems an impossible task. But as I said earlier, I did my best to wade through it all years ago and come to my own conclusions. And here I am. I will defend my Faith to the death or the last word I can utter, but that does not mean that I any way disrespect other faiths...quite the opposite, I see them as precious jewels.

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

Why is it necessary to use words that inflame and incite such as "steal" and "pretend"? Kindness goes much further. I carefully worded my response so as not to give offense. Forgive me if I offended anyway.

[(Anonymous)]

You used the word "corrupted", which in that context sounds a lot worse than you might think. It's also false, they did not corrupt christianity anymore than christianity corrupted judaism. So unless you also believe christianity is a corrupted version of judaism and paganism amongst other religions, then you shouldn't say that about islam.

(I am not a previous anon)

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

Forgive me for using a word that is offensive to you or anyone. It is extremely difficult to find words that will not offend someone. I think that from Islam's perspective, my beliefs are a corruption of Truth as well. I do not think they are, I think Islam is a corruption. That is why I call myself a Christian and not a Muslim.

If corruption is an offensive term to you, as I said, please forgive me. I do not intend offense, only explanation.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

That (last sentence) is a view I hope never to suffer from. I mean, there are always different (valid) perspectives, and that is not a very generous way to see faith or traditions or the natural evolution of history.

[(Anonymous)]

more like islam and christianity stemmed from judaism. either that or moses surely gets around, that tart. no one corrupted anyone lol sorry but this just proved that most faith based persons dont know the religions they follow.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

I don't know how other people view comment threads, but when I see one person with a name and an identity and a relationship to the original poster speaking honestly, choosing words carefully, knowing it's a public journal, and some anonymous people coming in and insulting that person (most likely knowing about the relationship between the poster and commenter) and being all "no caps lol", it's very obvious who the ignorant person is. Hint: they're also the coward, and the asshole in the conversation.

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

Did I not just say that Islam was influenced by Judaism? I would readily agree as well that Christianity is not only heavily influenced by Judiasm, but is the child of Judaism. It is not an accident that Orthodox worship looks hauntingly like Jewish Temple worship as it is described in ancient texts. It is pointless to argue about who knows more about the religions of the world. I was sharing from my belief system, not intending to give a dissertation about world religions.

[mercyorbemoaned.livejournal.com]

We watched Baraka, and I was genuinely shocked to find we were looking at the inside of a Sufi (mysticism of Islam) temple in the middle east, because I had been sure it was Orthodox (mysticism of) Christianity - the priests dress the same, with the same hair and beards, and carry the same swinging incense past candles and everyone is kissing things and they have something locked up front that looks just like a tabernacle.

Well yeah, just because you take over doesn't mean you have to get rid of the cool stuff.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

You have a way of putting things.

[(Anonymous)]

You are way too polite.

[(Anonymous)]

None of the pictures are showing up for me. :(