![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Odd questions, abound...
A day involving multiple trips to the hospital, vet, animal shelter and much, much more. Frankly, I'm not discussing it anymore. Hubby is fine, basset hound is fine. I am wiped.
Got an interesting question today from one of the volunteers - how was I handling my "grief over the Pope's death?"
For a long moment, all I did was blink.
My mother is a secular Jew, my father has dual citizenship with Ireland & the U.S., his mother born an Irish citizen in Scotland. I'm somewhat openly but quietly pagan, but I blend into the crowd. I've a double British Tradition Wicca High Priestess and Priest as best friends with me and my hubby, plus sweetie coven sisters, too.
I'm not sure what this gal means. I don't even know under what context of my life I should answer the question.
Finally, she says "on account of you being Irish, I mean."
Ahh...finally. My great-grandfather brought his entire family to the United States via a cattle boat, saw the Statue of Liberty and swore to never allow the trials of Christianity to ruin his life or his Irish heritage, again. We've NEVER practiced Christianity in my family, going back several generations on my father's side. The ONLY time Dad took us to church it was for a Winter Solstice ritual at St. John's the Divine.
Literally, I have no opinion of his death. I'm ambivalent about his life and legacy. I adore that the Cult of Mary has been affirmed. I'm afraid for Africa and most of the hispanic world, especially my beautiful young Mexican-Irish cousin.
Please, ask me about my views Israel - that I can discuss coherently without "going Irish" on someone as my hubby calls it. Ask me to explain why I love my coven, that I can translate for *anyone* of almost any faith. (Really, once you've explained this to the protestant chaplain at a Navy base, you're sort of "prepped" for life on this). As me about the discussions I have with my Rabbi about trying to be a better mensch, while respecting my Jewish heritage, but not returning back to the Jewish fold entirely. Ask me why I love my husband and fell in love with him on our second date. Ask me about growing up watching the Jews and the Irish be polite to each other over holiday dinner. Ask me why David Sedaris the world's funniest man.
As for the Pope, everything that he said @ http://www.slate.com/id/2116443/
"Unbelievers are more merciful and understanding than believers, as well as more rational. We do not believe that the pope will face judgment or eternal punishment for the millions who will die needlessly from AIDS, or for his excusing and sheltering of those who committed the unpardonable sin of raping and torturing children, or for the countless people whose sex lives have been ruined by guilt and shame and who are taught to respect the body only when it is a lifeless cadaver like that of Terri Schiavo. For us, this day is only the interment of an elderly and querulous celibate, who came too late and who stayed too long, and whose primitive ideology did not permit him the true self-criticism that could have saved him, and others less innocent, from so many errors and crimes."
The end of this post.
Got an interesting question today from one of the volunteers - how was I handling my "grief over the Pope's death?"
For a long moment, all I did was blink.
My mother is a secular Jew, my father has dual citizenship with Ireland & the U.S., his mother born an Irish citizen in Scotland. I'm somewhat openly but quietly pagan, but I blend into the crowd. I've a double British Tradition Wicca High Priestess and Priest as best friends with me and my hubby, plus sweetie coven sisters, too.
I'm not sure what this gal means. I don't even know under what context of my life I should answer the question.
Finally, she says "on account of you being Irish, I mean."
Ahh...finally. My great-grandfather brought his entire family to the United States via a cattle boat, saw the Statue of Liberty and swore to never allow the trials of Christianity to ruin his life or his Irish heritage, again. We've NEVER practiced Christianity in my family, going back several generations on my father's side. The ONLY time Dad took us to church it was for a Winter Solstice ritual at St. John's the Divine.
Literally, I have no opinion of his death. I'm ambivalent about his life and legacy. I adore that the Cult of Mary has been affirmed. I'm afraid for Africa and most of the hispanic world, especially my beautiful young Mexican-Irish cousin.
Please, ask me about my views Israel - that I can discuss coherently without "going Irish" on someone as my hubby calls it. Ask me to explain why I love my coven, that I can translate for *anyone* of almost any faith. (Really, once you've explained this to the protestant chaplain at a Navy base, you're sort of "prepped" for life on this). As me about the discussions I have with my Rabbi about trying to be a better mensch, while respecting my Jewish heritage, but not returning back to the Jewish fold entirely. Ask me why I love my husband and fell in love with him on our second date. Ask me about growing up watching the Jews and the Irish be polite to each other over holiday dinner. Ask me why David Sedaris the world's funniest man.
As for the Pope, everything that he said @ http://www.slate.com/id/2116443/
"Unbelievers are more merciful and understanding than believers, as well as more rational. We do not believe that the pope will face judgment or eternal punishment for the millions who will die needlessly from AIDS, or for his excusing and sheltering of those who committed the unpardonable sin of raping and torturing children, or for the countless people whose sex lives have been ruined by guilt and shame and who are taught to respect the body only when it is a lifeless cadaver like that of Terri Schiavo. For us, this day is only the interment of an elderly and querulous celibate, who came too late and who stayed too long, and whose primitive ideology did not permit him the true self-criticism that could have saved him, and others less innocent, from so many errors and crimes."
The end of this post.