Check out this blog from Susan Blackmore when you get a chance. It is very interesting.
http://www.newstatesman.com/200703150004
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
Common Gound
In last night's religious exploration class we viewed the third and final episode in the series of the Jonathan Miller documentary, "Atheism: A Rough History of Disbelief". Lively discussion followed the film and something interesting came out of that discussion. As we were talking about the many atrocities that had been committed by various religious movements over the centuries (the Inquisition comes to mind for example) we also noted, as was brought out in the film, the first Atheist State (The USSR) had also committed horrible crimes against humanity as well. Bill suggested that the atrocities committed by religions were carried out by extremist individuals or groups and did not represent the Religion as a whole. Steve was pointing out that the USSR under Stalin also committed atrocities but that these were not done in the name of Atheism, per se, but rather because Stalin wanted to maintain his power. I think that there is some common gound here between believers and non believers, in that in each case, it was due to the excesses of individuals or smaller groups within the larger population that these horrible acts were committed. The end result was that also in each case, Religion and Atheism, the blame or the negative image was planted in the minds of many people who observed this from 'outside'. Perhaps this is one area in which believers and non believers can come together and agree. Common Gound.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Exploration!
Well it's official. The Church has changed the name of our Religious Education program to "Religious Exploration". Several members felt that the term 'Education' would be better expressed as 'Exploration' and many agreed. The issue came up at our last board meeting and was voted on and unanimously approved to change it to 'Religious Exploration'. So, Explorers, go boldly where no UU has gone before and seek out your truth!
Monday, January 7, 2008
UU Videos on YouTube
I just found two wonderful videos on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p03xPbSSSBU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wezp1W2HKlU
OK, that's all the space I'm going to take up, today!
Bettina
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p03xPbSSSBU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wezp1W2HKlU
OK, that's all the space I'm going to take up, today!
Bettina
Friday, January 4, 2008
Religious Exploration
Last night was the continuation of our RE (Religious Education) Class - this one being focused on "What is Atheism?" We had great attendance - 11 people showed up in the bitter cold. We viewed the first segment of Jonathan Miller's film, 'Atheism: A Rough History of Disbelief ', and followed that up with some very lively and stimulating discussion. Nearly everyone there had vital and interesting points to make and the evening was a wonderful success. Somewhere in the discussion it was suggested that with the idea in mind of dogma and doctrine being a hindrance rather than a help to spiritual growth, instead of 'religious education' we should refer to these sessions as 'religious exploration', and all seemed to agree that this was the way to go. Please come and join in next Thursday Evening as we view the 2nd Segment entitled: "Noughts and Crosses"! . . . and try not to eat too many cookies!
Monday, December 31, 2007
New Years Eve
Ahhh...another quiet holiday (knocking on wood).
I'm thinking, a lot, about my New Years Resolutions. Like everyone else, I always make them. With hand on heart and the best of intentions, I vow to create better relationships. I vow to get healthier. I vow to get organized.
On New Years Eve, 1999 I came up with the following "Millennium" resolutions:
1. To love more courageously.
2. To twirl, at least once a day!
3. To make more chowder.
4. To write more poetry.
5. To honor my own feelings.
6. To be verwy, verwy quiet... more often.
7. To write the great American....children's book!
8. To dream bigger, run faster, jump higher!
9. To expand the "Gwidy Universe" and have more tea parties! (clue, if you want one) :)
10. To practice savoring.
11. To sing myself to sleep, now and then.
12. To enjoy being here ... and to keep adding to this list!
Added in 2006: ( Yes, I said 2006. OK, so "procrastinate less" was NEVER on the list)
1. To belly-dance, regularly.
2. To communicate with my far away friends…more regularly.
3. To confront and conquer, at least, one fear.
4. To write more songs.
5. To create magical happenings, as often as possible.
6. To welcome the changes in my life with gratitude toward the Universe.
Looking back on this list, I realize that I've done well...with some of my resolutions...and totally forgotten others! (My poor Gwidies have been neglected for years!!!)
This year, I have decided to simplify. I have only one resolution. My vow for 2008 is...
...drum roll, please.....
...to LOVE more and complain less.
I'm thinking that should cover everything. If I love my body more and complain about it less, I will be healthier. If I love my family more and complain about them less, my relationships will improve. If I love my home and studio more and complain about them less, I will be more organized.
Love more...complain less. Works for me.
Happy New Year, everyone!
Bettina
©2007 Bettina Makley
I'm thinking, a lot, about my New Years Resolutions. Like everyone else, I always make them. With hand on heart and the best of intentions, I vow to create better relationships. I vow to get healthier. I vow to get organized.
On New Years Eve, 1999 I came up with the following "Millennium" resolutions:
1. To love more courageously.
2. To twirl, at least once a day!
3. To make more chowder.
4. To write more poetry.
5. To honor my own feelings.
6. To be verwy, verwy quiet... more often.
7. To write the great American....children's book!
8. To dream bigger, run faster, jump higher!
9. To expand the "Gwidy Universe" and have more tea parties! (clue, if you want one) :)
10. To practice savoring.
11. To sing myself to sleep, now and then.
12. To enjoy being here ... and to keep adding to this list!
Added in 2006: ( Yes, I said 2006. OK, so "procrastinate less" was NEVER on the list)
1. To belly-dance, regularly.
2. To communicate with my far away friends…more regularly.
3. To confront and conquer, at least, one fear.
4. To write more songs.
5. To create magical happenings, as often as possible.
6. To welcome the changes in my life with gratitude toward the Universe.
Looking back on this list, I realize that I've done well...with some of my resolutions...and totally forgotten others! (My poor Gwidies have been neglected for years!!!)
This year, I have decided to simplify. I have only one resolution. My vow for 2008 is...
...drum roll, please.....
...to LOVE more and complain less.
I'm thinking that should cover everything. If I love my body more and complain about it less, I will be healthier. If I love my family more and complain about them less, my relationships will improve. If I love my home and studio more and complain about them less, I will be more organized.
Love more...complain less. Works for me.
Happy New Year, everyone!
Bettina
©2007 Bettina Makley
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Christmas Eve Service
Well it's Christmas day and, since my family is far away, it's quiet and I have time to come here and blog, a bit.
Last evening I was curled up at this computer in my new, red, chenille housecoat (a present from Lance's Mom) enjoying it's softness and thinking about retiring for the night, when Orland called. "I'm leaving my house in a few minutes," he says "if you want to go to the service tonight." Of course, lots of conflicting thoughts started to jump around in my brain, as I only had seconds to make a decision between staying in my warm, comfy, new housecoat, and slamming on some Christmas garb and going out into the cold.
Christmas Eve day had been, unexpectedly difficult. I thought I was ready for a quiet Christmas with just myself and Lance. Sarah is still in NJ with her sister and brother, as she was asked to extend her art show. The rest of my family is in Florida and Lance's family is far away, as well. I hadn't really invested much time in decorating the house for just the two of us, but I decided, at the last minute, to clean, cook and decorate, just a bit. As I puttered around the house, listening to Christmas music, I began to feel the presence of "The Ghost of Christmas Past" and my mind couldn't help but wander through years of family traditions. Fifty years of caroling, presents, Tom & Jerries, ornament-making parties, cookie decorating and taffy pulls.
As joyful as all of these memories are, it was hard not to feel the sadness of loss, as well. (Even as I type this, I know that my family in Florida are together, drinking T&J's, eating great food and singing Christmas carols in beautiful harmony.) Suffice it to say that I spent much of Christmas Eve day on an emotional roller-coaster.
I'm going to insert a lesson, here and one of the best ones I ever learned: One man's tradition is another man's bondage. All this means is that, sometimes, we need to be prepared to surrender tradition in order to create new magic.
The need to re-create experiences in exactly the same way is strong. Why wouldn't it be? If we feel that doing a certain thing a certain way brought us joy, then of course we might want to repeat that experience. This is how tradition begins...with the best of intentions. Problems can arise, however, when we become so attached to those traditions that if the tiniest one has to change, we get the feeling that our joyful experience has been ruined.
I can't tell you how many Christmases I spent, stressed out, trying to recreate all the traditions I was raised with. I had to make Christmas cookies. I had to set up a tree and decorate it with my collection of ornaments, some of them handed down from my grandmother. I had to have a present for everyone at the family gathering. I had to be home to watch Rudolf, Charlie Brown and Scrooge (OK, this one dates me, as there were no VCRs back then *smiles*)...anyway, you get the idea.
One year, my Christmas ornaments disappeared. I couldn't find them, anywhere. It was one of the lean years and I was not able to have a big, real tree and all we had, for ornaments, came from a book of Sesame Street paper cut-outs. I don't remember where I got the three foot, artificial tree that we ended up with, but we made the best of it with a single strand of lights. We punched out Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Grover and the rest and assembled them and added them to our little tree. It was a very "Charley Brown-ish" tree and was beautiful, with a little love. It was then that I began to realize that Christmas traditions do not give me love or joy. It is the love and joy I put in that makes them magical! Once I had surrendered my imagined need to control the experience and just allowed Christmas to "become", another, very magical thing happened. At my office Christmas party, they gave out tickets for various door prizes. As I was chatting with friends they nudged me because my number had been called. I had won something! Me?! I never won much of anything before, so I was a little shocked. What did I win? It was the grand prize of the evening...a fully decorated Christmas tree! I brought it home and stood it on the other side of the room from our little tree of love. Looking back, we call it "The Year of Two Christmas Trees" and it became one of the most memorable Christmases of my life.
So, as all of these thoughts ran through my head in the few seconds that Orland was waiting for my answer and after quickly consulting Lance, I responded "Sure! Yes! We'll be ready!" and of course I have no regrets. The service, organized by Walt, was wonderful, in spite of a few quirks and I can't tell you how much I enjoyed singing the more solemn carols of the holiday...in harmony with my new family. After the service we gathered for food, music and "holiday cheer", at Bill and Laura's house. For me, it was an awesome Christmas Eve!
And that is what this blog is really all about. I just wanted to thank all of YOU...members of my new Spiritual family...for helping me remember to be grateful for whatever magic happens! I love you all, more than I can say and wish you all a VERY, MERRY CHRISTMAS!
"Whatever (whoever)" bless us...every one! *wink*
Bettina
© 2007 Bettina Makley
Last evening I was curled up at this computer in my new, red, chenille housecoat (a present from Lance's Mom) enjoying it's softness and thinking about retiring for the night, when Orland called. "I'm leaving my house in a few minutes," he says "if you want to go to the service tonight." Of course, lots of conflicting thoughts started to jump around in my brain, as I only had seconds to make a decision between staying in my warm, comfy, new housecoat, and slamming on some Christmas garb and going out into the cold.
Christmas Eve day had been, unexpectedly difficult. I thought I was ready for a quiet Christmas with just myself and Lance. Sarah is still in NJ with her sister and brother, as she was asked to extend her art show. The rest of my family is in Florida and Lance's family is far away, as well. I hadn't really invested much time in decorating the house for just the two of us, but I decided, at the last minute, to clean, cook and decorate, just a bit. As I puttered around the house, listening to Christmas music, I began to feel the presence of "The Ghost of Christmas Past" and my mind couldn't help but wander through years of family traditions. Fifty years of caroling, presents, Tom & Jerries, ornament-making parties, cookie decorating and taffy pulls.
As joyful as all of these memories are, it was hard not to feel the sadness of loss, as well. (Even as I type this, I know that my family in Florida are together, drinking T&J's, eating great food and singing Christmas carols in beautiful harmony.) Suffice it to say that I spent much of Christmas Eve day on an emotional roller-coaster.
I'm going to insert a lesson, here and one of the best ones I ever learned: One man's tradition is another man's bondage. All this means is that, sometimes, we need to be prepared to surrender tradition in order to create new magic.
The need to re-create experiences in exactly the same way is strong. Why wouldn't it be? If we feel that doing a certain thing a certain way brought us joy, then of course we might want to repeat that experience. This is how tradition begins...with the best of intentions. Problems can arise, however, when we become so attached to those traditions that if the tiniest one has to change, we get the feeling that our joyful experience has been ruined.
I can't tell you how many Christmases I spent, stressed out, trying to recreate all the traditions I was raised with. I had to make Christmas cookies. I had to set up a tree and decorate it with my collection of ornaments, some of them handed down from my grandmother. I had to have a present for everyone at the family gathering. I had to be home to watch Rudolf, Charlie Brown and Scrooge (OK, this one dates me, as there were no VCRs back then *smiles*)...anyway, you get the idea.
One year, my Christmas ornaments disappeared. I couldn't find them, anywhere. It was one of the lean years and I was not able to have a big, real tree and all we had, for ornaments, came from a book of Sesame Street paper cut-outs. I don't remember where I got the three foot, artificial tree that we ended up with, but we made the best of it with a single strand of lights. We punched out Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Grover and the rest and assembled them and added them to our little tree. It was a very "Charley Brown-ish" tree and was beautiful, with a little love. It was then that I began to realize that Christmas traditions do not give me love or joy. It is the love and joy I put in that makes them magical! Once I had surrendered my imagined need to control the experience and just allowed Christmas to "become", another, very magical thing happened. At my office Christmas party, they gave out tickets for various door prizes. As I was chatting with friends they nudged me because my number had been called. I had won something! Me?! I never won much of anything before, so I was a little shocked. What did I win? It was the grand prize of the evening...a fully decorated Christmas tree! I brought it home and stood it on the other side of the room from our little tree of love. Looking back, we call it "The Year of Two Christmas Trees" and it became one of the most memorable Christmases of my life.
So, as all of these thoughts ran through my head in the few seconds that Orland was waiting for my answer and after quickly consulting Lance, I responded "Sure! Yes! We'll be ready!" and of course I have no regrets. The service, organized by Walt, was wonderful, in spite of a few quirks and I can't tell you how much I enjoyed singing the more solemn carols of the holiday...in harmony with my new family. After the service we gathered for food, music and "holiday cheer", at Bill and Laura's house. For me, it was an awesome Christmas Eve!
And that is what this blog is really all about. I just wanted to thank all of YOU...members of my new Spiritual family...for helping me remember to be grateful for whatever magic happens! I love you all, more than I can say and wish you all a VERY, MERRY CHRISTMAS!
"Whatever (whoever)" bless us...every one! *wink*
Bettina
© 2007 Bettina Makley
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