However, I find that, upon my return, there have been quite a few changes that have taken place, personally and nationally:

I live in a new town

…in a new house

…I have a new job

…America has a new president

…Today.com has a new look

Aaah… changes– hopefully I can keep up with them!

Obviously, if you are the type to put 110% into everything you do, you will most likely take time to consider what you invest yourself in; this implies some amount of logic.  And while emotions may be a strong motivator for many of your decisions, you are not completely controlled by the ups and downs of hormones; you rely on sheer will power to get yourself through.

If your ideas of religion are based on your own strength and energy (as is the rest of your life) you may reflect the following characteristics:

1)     You are the first to volunteer for every project, lesson, or service project.  You are a zealous recruiter for your cause and are there every time the doors open at your place of worship (even if the custodian only stopped by to fix a stopped up toilet before the next day’s service).

2)     You feel as though you are personally responsible to convert the world to your religion.

3)     You feel a deep sense of betrayal if the return from your chosen religion is not equivalent to the amount of energy you invested in it.

 Chic flicks galore feed on the portrayal of the heavily invested; whether it be a zealous chef, a marvelous mom, or an efficient employee, all of these people have a few things in common—they are very passionate, they are deeply loyal, and they have put a considerable amount of time and effort into what they do (think Jennifer Lopez in The Wedding Planner). 

 Yet, somehow, no matter what the individual’s intentions, or how much of themselves they poor into a person, job, or religion, most find themselves empty and exhausted.  I wonder, is this just a Hollywood stereotype, or does it find its basis in the real world?

We are all familiar with the classic character in a romantic comedy; you know; the one who falls in and out of love almost as quickly as your next door neighbor, masquerading as a linebacker snatches the sweater out of your cart the day after Thanksgiving.  The same characteristics of the serial romantic can be applied to one who depends too heavily on their emotions while trying to be religious. 

1)     The emotional devotee basis religious practices based on how they feel rather than on facts

2)     Often will experiment with various religions trying to find the perfect fit

3)     The level of devotion and practice is dependent on how satisfied and happy the religion is making the individual feel 

A religion that finds its basis at the root of a person’s emotions can be very dangerous:           

For example:

Things didn’t go right, God must be angry

My prayer wasn’t answered the way I wanted, there must be no God

I’m happy, there must be good energy in the universe 

Most religions denote that there is a constant.  Emotions are never constant.  Keep in mind that it is not the god of your religion who is changing when your boss fires yells at you at work, it’s you.   

And on a personal side note, I’m glad my God is not as fickle as I am when PMS strikes; otherwise, the earth would be spinning on and off its axis like a yo-yo. 

A religion of the mind, that is, based on logical thinking will extend as far as an individual’s own logic will allow.  This is a very convenient religion as it is regulated by one’s self; but then so are our daily habits. 

 One may drive by Starbucks, or eat lunch at the deli on Fridays, or watch football religiously; and, although some may disagree with the idea, all of these habits are well within our control.  Just as habits of the body are fully within our control, so is the religion of logic, a religion dependent on the mind.

 What are the characteristics of a religion of the mind?

1)     It extends only as far as individual logic

2)     It ceases when there is no longer a logical answer

3)     The idea is that as long as an explanation exists, so does the religion; when there ceases to be a scientific answer, there ceases to be a religion

 I am reminded of a scene in Along Came Polly in which Reuben Feffer (Ben Stiller) attempts to compare the risk of having a relationship with a former free spirited classmate to reconciling with his wife who jilted him.  Illogically, it was “safer” to go with the free spirit. 

 Feffer is a perfect example of one who tries to apply logic to every part of his life; I would wager that he would try to apply it to his religious practices as well.  However, as this movie demonstrated, not all of life is logical; nor can a religion based on anything more than a ritual cup of coffee survive solely on logic.

 Consider this:  If one’s entire basis of faith is dependent on the ability to reason and rationalize, what happens to the individual who suffers a stroke or develops Alzheimer’s?

We are young and we want change.  Does this mean that our generation values trips to the mall, shiny cars, and upscale houses so much that we would hand over the power of the economy to one man who promises so much?  Do we value our freedom to earn as much as we are willing to work for so little that we are willing to disperse it among those unwilling to get off the living room couch?  Since when has America embraced the ideals of Karl Mark and Joseph Stalin?  Since when has American blood meant so little that we turn our backs on the reason it was spilt?

We are young and we want change.  Are we willing then, to undermine the value of a college education?  Does your degree and labor to receive a higher education mean so little to you that you are willing to demean your efforts to that of receiving a high school diploma?  Up until now, higher education was a choice, not a didactic soup kitchen for the masses.  You worked for it, you struggled for it; and the effort involved made you a better person and proud of placing that piece of paper on the wall.

We are young and we want change.  At what age then do we stop letting our mother choose our doctor and allow the government to do it instead?  Are we so unable to manage our personal finances that we would hand over access to our personal medical records to the government?  Since when did we want our dentist records, health exams, and gender-related checkups on file in the White House?

We are young and we want change.  Are we so naive that we are able to ignore involvement in and support from questionable individuals and organizations?  Is our judgment so clouded that we have lost the ability to spot a blatant lie?  Have we exchanged logic for the sounds of a smooth voice, although it evades direct questions?  Are we so immature that we feel no need to hold a political leader accountable to the people?  Did we get so used to our mother cleaning up after us that we prefer our government to do the same?

Have we forgotten that we are a “government of the people, by the people, for the people?”  Our government is responsible to US, the people; and, though we are young, I hope we have not forgotten that.  Our government was never intended to take charge of the people; the American people are to take charge of the government.  The government is not to regulate the people; the people are to regulate the government.

 Are we so young and immature that we are willing to hand over our rights and the rights of future generations to a man that possesses the ideals and political judgment of a college freshman because we want change?  How quick were we to ignore that one vice presidential candidate described the duties of an American VP to be equivalent to those of a sidekick (just a hint, it wasn’t the new girl on the block)?

 We are young and we want change; but, do we possess enough intelligence to know what we want changed?  Do we respect ourselves as upcoming stewards of our country to take responsibility for it? 

 Do we want change bad enough that we will turn a blind eye to the cost it demands?  I may be young; but, I’m not stupid and I hope my generation isn’t either.  I want an America to give to my kids.

I return from a brief time away (in the process of moving) to digress from the previous topic of religion.  I turn once more to the topic of politics.

In light of recent (although unpopular) findings that Democratic presidential nominee, Barack Obama has been involved in, and has had close personal connections with known leaders of terrorist organizations, I have to ask: Are we, the American people desperate or stupid?

In 1992 we elected an individual to the White House who, 200 years beforehand would have been shot for treason.  Today we are far more advanced: we seek to elect someone with a terrorist background to deal with the terrorists on a national level.  Brilliant; I feel safe now.

Furthermore, in this new and enlightened approach, we refuse to come up with a straight answer regarding our actions.  As a parent, I project Senator Obama’s method of answering serious questions into a real life situation:

“Son, I’ve heard you’ve been spending a lot of time with the leader of one of the local gangs.”

             “Whatever Mom, can we talk about my allowance?”

             “Son, this is dangerous activity.”

             “Stop nagging me just because I’m a teenager.  Do you realize James gets $50 a week?”

 Call me strange; but, I would not take a brush off like that from my child.  I do not expect less from a man wishing to become president of a country.  Moreover, as a parent, I believe that if we are going to imply that criminal activity no longer matters while electing a political official, we should stop telling our kids that wrong choices will mess up their life.

Yet, that would be ridiculous.

“Drink; alcoholism will have no effect on your career or family life.”

“Get pregnant; I’m sure you will have no trouble raising a child, finishing school,          and landing a decent job to support you both.”

“Take drugs; I hear it’s quite fashionable to function on fewer brain cells and die         of an overdose.”

“Join a gang; you will have plenty of social opportunities and it may even be a            point of interest that you survived a drive by.”

We would consider the above statements to be absolutely ludicrous if we stated them seriously to our children.  In fact, almost every one of you probably read them as sarcastic.  Yet, it seems that someone told Senator Obama that it was perfectly alright to develop friendships with terrorists and go on to become president of a country that doesn’t negotiate with terrorists.

I ask again, Are we desperate or stupid?

An apology to any of my readers for the short laps in posting.  My previous thread was on the topic of “politics, sex, and religion.”  Having dealt with politics and sex to a certain degree, I find myself at the gateway of this topic, and, although I have given much thought to its composition, am still a little unsure how to cross the threshold.

It is nearly impossible to speak of religion without offending someone somewhere.  Religion is very personal, even more personal than politics or sex; although, for some, politics and/or sex may have become a part of their religion, or lack thereof.

If we really take time to consider it, humans are 4 dimensional beings: mind, emotion, spirit, and strength; and, as most of us are imbalanced, the way in which we approach life is pretty much summed up using one or more of these qualities.

For the one who is driven by the mind, you make the logical choice in regards to whom you vote for (and do vote for), who you choose to marry (or not marry), who you choose to worship, and how you expend your energy.  You only do it if it logically makes sense.

For the emotional one, you make your decisions based on your feelings; which means that, unless grounded in something very firm; your decisions in regards to politics, love, worship, and passion change as quickly as your emotions.  You do it if it feels good or right.

For the one who is defined by his or her strength; you consider carefully what and who you invest in based on the amount of effort it will cost you.  When you choose to devote yourself to a cause, a politician, a spouse, or a religion, you want your effort to be worth the sweat you put into your decision.

A spiritual individual searches deep for “the still, small voice” to govern his or her decisions and practices; some consider themselves to be very spiritual, others stay as far from spiritual matters, the discussion, or practice thereof.  You believe that something outside yourself governs your life.

May I suggest that each individual views religion based primarily on one of these 4 characteristics of humanity?  We will break down each of these in future posts.  Please feel free to comment or discuss at any time.

This was the title of the store two of my best college friends walked into while planning my bachelorette party.  Needless to say, it did not take too long for them to figure out the trick another of our friends had played on them.   The experience made a good story; maybe it will bring about some good advice.  In the previous post I stated that in regards to the intimacies of your personal life, I didn’t really want to know when, who, what or how; although, I didn’t say it in quite those words.  I still don’t; but, I do want to offer the following suggestions for making sex a joy.

·        If you haven’t, wait:  If, for whatever reason, you have declined our society’s invitation to lose your virginity, continue to decline and deepen the mystery your spouse will one day try to solve.  Reject the idea that you need to “be broken in;” this usually means “broken up.”

·        If you have, stop:  If you’re riding the train without a ticket, get off, unless you plan on making a lifelong commitment to this person in the very near future.  Believe it or not, chances are even if the other individual says they’re only looking for a good time, eventually, someone is going to get hurt and it may be you.

·        If you’re married:  Don’t go for cheap thrills and engage in extracurricular activities.  Steer clear of the sexy coworker and flashy websites.  At some point, forget the kids, forget the dishes; forget the remote and the fact that you haven’t shaved your legs in two days.  Remember when married life meant spending a week in a hotel room and then remember something more.  You are married to someone much deeper than the person who slipped on a white dress or black suit 1 or 5 or 20 years ago; find out who it is and what they have to offer.

Previously I mentioned that politics, sex, and religion are what make the world go round.  Since I have not yet reached the final topic on religion, I will try to write this post with that point in mind.  That being said, why in the name of me has there been a sudden rush for the popular public to announce the fact that they have chosen a gay lifestyle?

Why do magazines, websites, and blog posts feel the need to report the fact that someone else is having sex with members of the same gender?  For that matter, why, in fact, do members of the media feel the need to issue a full report every time someone checks into a hotel within camera distance?

As I said, religion aside, why do I want to know about anyone’s sex life?  I greatly doubt the fact that it would cause quite the stir if a heterosexual individual in the entertainment industry announced that they were having sex with their spouse or girlfriend/boyfriend.  In fact, my guess would be, given the common morality of our society, that most individuals would respond with a resounding “duh.”

Common sense would indicate that one would only divulge the intimacies of his or her personal life (hetero or homosexual) to someone you don’t mind hearing from on the topic.  I don’t know about the rest of the world; but, I really don’t want the unsolicited opinions, or attentions of the world focused on my sex life.  The idea in general is more reflective of adolescent locker room gossip instead of a mature, adult relationship, a topic which few seem to really want to discuss.

Frankly, if I don’t know you, and your partner in the sheets is not related to me in any way, it is none of my business who you sleep with; and, honestly, I really don’t want to know.

All of the previous having being said; someone should do a study on the decline and collapse of sex-crazed societies.

 Perhaps the old joke about the word “politics” being a compound of the Latin poli, meaning “many” and ticks (or blood-sucking creatures) holds a little truth and reflects the way we tend to behave during an election year.  While we’re at it, allow your author to suck a little blood.

 In the recent debate, Senator Obama made education and health care two of his main objectives for repairing the American economy.  Not a bad move: who wants to argue against our youth receiving a better education or oppose young families and seniors receiving better health benefits?  I, for one, do not; but, I must, because, frankly, the way in which Senator Obama proposes to accomplish this makes me a little uncomfortable. 

 When our forefathers arrived on the Mayflower 388 years ago this November, they were fleeing an oppressive government; 233 years ago, we fought to rid ourselves of the restrictions of said government and to give the power to the people.  Now, in 2008, Senator Obama is highly in favor of strict regulations and government involvement in American health care and educational systems. 

 How far does government involvement go?  Do I think that people should have to remain sick or injured because they cannot afford health care?  No, I think the government should find a way to cut unnecessary spending, so they can lower taxes, and give a choice to the people regarding their health.  Do I believe that children should be under-educated because schools are underfunded?  No, I think that we should decrease government spending in areas that have proved ineffectual and give it back to the people to educate their children.  And, I’m sorry, I don’t like the fact that college tuition climbs higher every year; but, I do not think that the government needs to take control over optional education.  Those who want to further their education bad enough will do it.

 Part of what distinguishes America as a nation is that we offer our people a choice; and our government is empowered by the people to serve the people.  If we the people hand our ability to make choices to the government, we hand over our freedom; and, in doing so, we hand over the Constitution of the United States, bought with the blood of our forefathers.