Happy Winter Solstice

In all the different traditions and different faith celebrations of the winter season, I find that one thing connects them all.

Family.

It doesn't matter what religious group you belong to, everyone wants to get home for the holidays. I truly believe that family and friends are the most important part of the holidays.

No matter what your personal tradition is, I hope that you have a wonderful time celebrating. I hope you get to enjoy spending time with family and friends. Have a blessed winter solstice.

Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays, 

‘Cause no matter how far away you roam

If you want to be happy in a million ways

For the holidays, you can’t beat home, sweet home.

- Vince Gill "Home For The Holidays"

Exciting Group-Solitary Druid Fellowship

One of my favorite blogs is Teo Bishop's "Bishop In the Grove." He is a wonderful writer and his posts always leave me thinking. For the past few months, Teo has been writing about creating a fellowship for solitary pagans.

So today I was really pleased to get an e-mail announcing the launch of the Solitary Druid Fellowship website. According to the site

The Solitary Druid Fellowship (SDF) is an extension of Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF), an independent tradition of Neo-Pagan Druidism. It is organized to provide solitary Druids, as well as any solitary Pagan in the general public, with an opportunity to engage more deeply with their ritual practice, while at the same time forging spiritual bonds with other solitaries through the adoption of a shared liturgical form.(1)

I have spent some time looking around the site. Though there isn't a whole lot there right now, the articles that are up are very interesting. The site is well organized, clean, and easy to navigate. I think that it is an interesting idea that this site will be for information, not a replacement for groves or communities.

I love the idea of being able to share a common ritual with others, but still being able to worship on my own. I believe that this site is going to be a wonderful tool for many Pagans. I am looking forward to reading the Yule ritual and using it my practice.

Notes:
(1) Taken from the "What we are" page- http://www.solitarydruid.org/what-we-are/

I'm a bit of a Grinch

As we head into the holiday season, I need to get something out in the open...

I'm a bit of a Grinch.

There are really about three things about the holiday season.
1) I enjoy getting presents. (Really, who doesn't?)
2) I like the once a year treats and foods.
3) I love spending time with family I don't get to see very often. 

But here's the thing...

I don't watch holiday specials. I don't enjoy listening Christmas music. I don't like the commercials that play over and over and sometimes don't change for years. I'm not a big fan of Christmas decorations. The Elf on the Shelf freaks me out.


And I get frustrated when people don't understand that I don't enjoy these things. It started long before I discovered I walk a pagan path.

I really wish people would let it be.

This time of the year should be more about spending time with family and friends then what present you are going to get them. We should be concerned about helping people all year round, not just in November and December. I believe children should behave because they are taught to do the right thing, not because Santa is watching. 

So I'm a bit of a Grinch. I'm not out to ruin your holiday, I may just have a different opinion than you. In any case, I hope everyone enjoy's their holiday season. I will just do it in my way.

"The threat of Christmas hung in the air, visible already in the fretful look of passersby as they readied themselves for the meaningless but necessary rites of false jovialities and ill-considered gifts." 

-Peter Dickinson

Post-Election Thoughts

I am so glad that this election is finally over!  It felt like it would never end. But where does this election leave us?

Unfortunately, at this point, it seems as a country we are more divided than ever. Everybody seems to have their own opinion, but nobody wants to work together to solve the nation's problems. Instead of compromise, we tear apart other's ideas. Instead of finding the middle ground that benefits the most people, we are stuck in a cycle of endless arguments. The parties stick to ideals that are no longer relevant and are not willing to listen when people want change. 

Instead of presenting both sides off the issue fairly, which is what I want when I turn on the news, most mainstream media outlets pick a side and won't let the other speak. It seems that often media present analysis and news without any research or facts to back it up.

Instead of campaigns that present us with viable plans for the future, the voter gets months of vague promises with no details on how they will be accomplished. The goal of campaigning seems to be "how can I make to other person look bad" instead of "how can I accurately promote my plans and credentials." Parties spend so much time trying to get their candidate elected that we end up with a two or more year election cycle. By the time election day rolls around, the population is overwhelmed and ready for the whole thing to be over.

We are left with a divided population. A government that is so caught up in party divisions that nothing gets done. Big media outlets you can't rely on.

My hope is that as a nation we can come together and mend the deep divisions that lies between us. That our leaders can put aside their differences and come up with some viable, fact based legislation that will benefit the most Americans, not just those that give them the most campaign dollars. 

I guess we will just have to wait and see...

Un-funny Jokes

I was watching the end of "The Burn" on Comedy Central, waiting for "The Daily Show" to come on. At the end of the show, the host started joking about the death of "Top Gun" director Tony Scott. I am not familiar with actually what happened with Tony Scott's suicide.  I am sad for his family and wish them the best.

However, that is not the point of this post. The point of the post is "The Burn." The point is the "jokes" the host was making about Tony Scott. He was making fun of his death. I was horrified by the things he was saying. When did joking about death like that become funny? Especially just a week or so after the event.

I know that we make fun of a lot of things in American society. And I feel that I have a pretty good sense of humor. But I do think there is a point when you go to far. Joking about a tragic event or somebody's death crosses that line. Why do people go for the shock value? What is wrong with coming up with a clever original joke? Or is that too hard?

Just thought I would put my two cents in.  Thoughts?

A Religious Game Show?

My family and I were watching Family Feud on GSN last night. During the show, Jeff Foxworthy appeared on a commercial to advertise a new game show that starts at the end of August. The name of the show... The American Bible Challenge. The first thought that ran through my mind after the commercial ended was "Really?" And the expressions on my family's faces said they were thinking the same thing. I even said, "I expect this on the Bible channel or the Gospel channel. But not on the Game Show Network."

This is the description of the show from gsntv.com,

"The American Bible Challenge is a spirited game show that will celebrate the Bible and its place in American culture. Bible enthusiasts from all across the country will compete in a variety of challenges that put their knowledge of the Good Book to the test."

I have a few issues with "The American Bible Challenge."

The first, does this show belongs on GSN? I think that as it gets closer to the air date this might be a question on a few people's minds. In my opinion, I don't think it does belong on GSN. My personal opinion. If it was on a religious channel, I would understand. Before anyone gets on my case, I do understand that nobody is forcing my to watch this show. If I don't want to see it, I can change the channel.

The second, should we turn religion into a game show? Honestly, this is the thing that bothers me the most. I don't mind questions about religion on Jeopardy. But when you make an entire show on the subject, in my mind, that is when you start crossing a line. Are the producers of the show out to create a entertaining program? To promote Christian religions? Just to make money?

The one thing that I am okay with is that, according to the promotional video on the website, the contestants are donating the winnings to charity. At least people are not going on to make money. However, in an article written by the Washington Post,

"...teams of contestants will represent 'worthy faith-based organizations,' said GSN, without elaborating as to how it planned to weed out the unworthy ones."

I guess we will have to wait an see what is "worthy."

Let me make something perfectly clear. The idea of making religion into a game show bothers me no matter what religion you are talking about. I guess for me I think that religion should be treated with more care.

The whole thing just rubs me the wrong way. Thoughts?


Websites:
http://gsntv.com/shows/the-american-bible-challenge/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/jeff-foxworthy-to-host-the-american-bible-challenge/2012/03/21/gIQAtYcYSS_story.html