Judgemental

I LOVE it when people comment *hint, hint* Anyways, I thought this was worthy of it's own post.

MissMommaBrown:
I know I *should* bite my tongue here. BUT (of course I'm not!) what is the difference between teaching your kids homosexuals are sinners and being judgemental?(p.s. I'm only asking out of love and I wouldn't bring this up with anyone I didn't think could handle it)

Me:
NO, it's a good question. I guess I think of judgment and being judgmental as being different. Homosexuality, like promiscuity, adultery, and prostitution is a moral issue for me and because of my religious beliefs, I believe it is wrong. And to kinda be specific the Bible simple says that sex outside of marriage is wrong, so I guess the loving part isn't a sin, just the sex? This still confuses me. Anyways, to judge means to evaluate. Homosexuality, sin or not a sin? For me, yes. To be judgmental means to condemn based on judgment. I do NOT change my opinions or relationship with someone based on their sins. I was taught that all sins are equal in the eyes of God. So what that should mean to all Christians is that by me being proud of my accomplishments and not humble, I'm equally a sinner in the eyes of God as someone who chooses a homosexual lifestyle. And I say "lifestyle" because I don't think you choose to be gay, but you can choose to act on it. So who am I to condemn someone else for their sins when I am a sinner too. When I teach my kids about our faith, they will know that we are all imperfect and because of that we don't belittle or condemn people for the sins. Not our job. The best we can do in our lives is love, be loved and live a life we can be proud of. Oh, wait I mean humble of... see I still have no clue. I love ya, and I'm just trying to figure this all out too.

Bittersweet

I've been debating whether or not to post about the election, but every time I come to write a new post I get stuck. So here it goes...

I'm ecstatic about President-elect Obama! Not only am I thrilled that we will have someone in office who's beliefs and vision I can stand behind, but I love what it says about our country. For me this isn't about black and white, because obviously I'm neither. It's about how proud I am to live in a country that is able to see beyond black and white. We had two great men stand before their country to be judged on their merits, beliefs and vision for our country, NOT race. Simply amazing.

I'm a child of the 80's so I didn't have to live through some of the horrible injustices I've studied and heard stories about. At first, after hearing people's reactions to having a "black" president I thought, maybe it's harder for those of us who haven't experienced that amount of hate to understand the magnitude of this victory. I beg you to open up and dig a little deeper. Just try. I'm not black and I didn't live through slavery or the civil rights movement, but I have been discriminated against. I have been judged. I have felt the ugliness of racism. I am dumbfounded that at one time our country had LAWS that made it ok to treat HUMANS like anything less than one. ** Just wait. We'll come back to this one.** I know what it feels like to go through life with all the hope in the world, except for this little tiny voice that tells you, "maybe not, you're Hispanic". It's a tiny voice for me and my Mom would probably die knowing that all the work she put into building my confidence in "you can do anything" is faulted. Can you imagine how loud that voice is for someone who didn't have great parents? Someone who has less money? lives in a poorer neighborhood? is black? an immigrant? BUT the voice has been silenced, beaten down and told to shut up. WE have proven ourselves better. We have lifted ourselves up to a more intelligent and enlightened society. One that can judge people on their deeds and character instead of their sex and race. Hurray for us!

Why bittersweet you ask? After celebrating the victory of our new President-elect, I heard about the results of Proposition 8 in California. First let me say, I am Catholic and morally I think homosexuality is wrong, but (and it's a BIG one) I do remember in all of my Catechism classes being taught that it isn't my place to pass judgement. And it's definitely not my place to throw stones. I will teach my children that we believe homosexuality is a sin and on the same token I will teach them that hating, judging, and discrimination are wrong too. If I remember correctly, in the Bible is says

John 8:7
Let he who has never sinned cast the first stone.

Doesn't this mean that we shouldn't be condemning these people for the choices they are making? Doesn't this mean that judging and taking away another HUMAN's right is the opposite of what Jesus would have done? I hold strong to my religion but this is the part that confuses me the most. Why are we so open with our judgements and hate, when it's obvious that's not what God is about? Well God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, you say?

"Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord
out of the heavens" Genesis 19:24. "Turning the cities of Sodom and
Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to
those who afterward would live ungodly" II Peter 2:6.

Yes, but wasn't it HE who passed judgement and implemented the consequences? Not Abraham? I guess my point is that I'm disheartened that as a People we still find it acceptable to not only pass judgement but to take it further and create laws that will dehumanize people when they are causing no harm to us. Sad.

Bittersweet.

It's that time...

to get your VOTE on. I really meant to get out and vote early, but it didn't happen. So wish me luck, and if the lines are really long, I'm going to let the kids go ape shit, so that, maybe, someone will let me cut.

Just sign the bill Bush!!

Well it looks like we were heard. A bill from the Senate has gone to President Bush's desk and will hopefully be signed soon. woohooo!!!

If you remember, we, well I, decided to ban China toys from our household this past December. It caused a huge uproar and upset quite a few people in our family, but I just felt that the safety of my kids was more important that mounds of toxic toys. And really, do we need that many toys? The shear volume of plastic that invaded my house for one, YES one, child was absolutely amazing. I mean one second, I'm sitting in a Chinese restaurant rubbing my huge belly talking to my husband about how our house cannot, will not, turn into a day care and that we needed a plan to hold back the troops of family with toys in hand for their very first granddaughter/niece/cute squishy baby and the very next second, I'm stepping on peek-a-blocks, rescuing Chicken Elmo from a flapping tirade and walking robo puppies all day long. But they're all gone now! Thank God! The toys, I mean, not the family.

The holidays were rough, probably more so for our family than us. We tried to keep the focus on the celebration and not the toys. We've celebrated M's birthday and again, we did ok. I think some people were hoping that we had forgotten about our China protest, but not so. Well there was that one really bad, BAD day when we were trapped in the house with the plumbers.... I set a few China toys free to save the little bit of sanity I had left, but they've since been rebanned. I know, I know but hey, it's not like China hasn't done it, right? So now A's birthday is coming up and I was almost going to cave, but then this sweet little reminder showed up on MSNBC today and I remembered that what I'm doing is making a difference and I'm sticking to my guns. No China toys for A this birthday, and why should we? Don't we deserve better?

Now I know

I remember a story my Dad told me a few years back. I think we were tossing around opinions on a heated subject, like we usually do, when he opened a little window to his past for me. He told me about the day JFK died. I wasn't born yet, and he was still young, so this whole event is such a mystery to me. Yeah, I've seen the movies and read about it in text books, but I just wasn't THERE. I'm not part of the generation that sat in front of the black and white TV or radio after dinner to listen intently to the president's words. I'm not from a generation that speaks about our world leader like he's a member of the family. I was not born in a time where "the people" trust or even have faith in our government. So when he told me that tears ran down my Grandmother's face as she watched the assassination of her beloved President, I was shocked and confused. Why would she be so upset about someone dying that she wasn't related to? No I'm not cold hearted. I understand that it was tragic and I too, would be very upset, but moved to tears? Now maybe that does sound cold, but you must understand the kind of person my Grandma is. Loving, strong, compassionate, ...yes, but easily moved to tears? No. So what was it that touched her so about this man? Again YES, I absolutely know about all of the wonderful ideas, brave stands, and life changing movements, but I never understood the moment, the feelings, or felt the tears. How can someone you've never even met evoke such emotion.
Now I know. Barack Obama is the JFK of my generation. He is crossing boundaries, breaking barriers and inspiring a generation that has been criticized for it's apathy. This man carries me. When he speaks I feel hope, when he shouts, I have chills. His ideals, vision and passion are exactly what I have in me. Now I know...