What is a Sin?

Is it really as simple as "Good Vs. Evil?"

I thought about this today as I read a cute Facebook joke from a friend's status: Did you know it was a sin to make coffee? Yep. In the Bible it says, "Hebrews." 


The quote made me smile but it also made me think. We grow up being told what is right and what is wrong. Not everyone agrees on those issues either. There are some huge debates over issues such as gay marriage, plural marriage, drinking, and even dancing. So if some believe it and some don't - is it really a sin?
According to dictionary.com a sin is defined as:

sin

¹ noun, verb, sinned, sin·ning.

noun

1.

transgression of divine law: the sin of Adam.

2.

any act regarded as such a transgression, especially a willfulor deliberate violation of some religious or moral principle.

3.

any reprehensible or regrettable action, behavior, lapse,etc.; great fault or offense: It's a sin to waste time.

So, here is a dilemma. First, if you go with "divine law" who gets to decide what is divine? Some people have issues with the idea of God. Then there are those that do not worship the same God or who have a God that seems to have differing ideas on what people should be doing. Which is the same problem with the "religious" aspect of number 2.  And of course we have those Frisbeetarians that worship the almighty Frisbee and it's freedom. Not much structure there to speak of.  A sin here might be missing the catch - how does that transgression get punished?

So this brings us to number 3. Each of us might have things we regret in life. However, what one person regrets another might not. What one considers to be reprehensible to one might not be to someone else. A lot of what we do has been instilled in us from our childhood and the ideas that others around us have felt or thought. No two people think exactly alike. 

There are certain social issues that most all of us find "reprehensible" such as criminal actions against other people. We want those people held accountable. Sometimes that doesn't happen and a majority of people become irate. You see this happen when a person literally gets away with murder. 

Now, writing this as a woman and having my own thoughts would be a sin in some countries. It might even be punishable by stoning. I don't live in those countries. Thinking about it, I don't think it's fair. A lot of people from the same type of culture I was raised feel the same way. So, they have created groups to change those cultures and make them more aware of how what they do and believe is wrong.

Do we have that right? To trounce in and tell people that what we think they are doing is wrong? Maybe? 

I think the answer lies in actually evaluating things. If you honestly in your heart believe that something is sinful - it is - for you. However, there are those out there that don't believe in sin at all. No matter what you say or what you do you may never be able to convince them you are right. 

So my thought is this - why not live by what you believe and feel is right. The only person that should judge you is yourself because you are the only one that truly knows what is in your heart. Allow your friends to help support you, but don't base your life trying to live by what others expect of you. You'll never win and you'll be miserable. 

So here is my definition of sin: "1. Going against and doing what you know and feel is wrong. 2. Not respecting the believes and ideas of others and imposing your thoughts on others to follow."

It's okay to feel someone else is wrong. It's even okay to tell them you feel that way. It's just not okay to judge them. Even the Bible says, "Judge not lest ye be judged." (Matthew 7:1)

And if you believe in Christianity then also remember this: "Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." (Romans 14:13)

Confucius said, "The more a man meditates on good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large." 

So, in my opinion, supporting your friend or family member is much more effective than judging him. Doing the contrary is sinful. 

Yesterday....

Yesterday I blocked my blog post with many others to oppose SOPA and PIPA. I made references on Facebook and on other sites. What I found out were that many people had no idea that these bills even existed. Something that would affect their lives was going through our political system and so many people had no idea what it even meant or that it existed. This is the type of thing that scares me. We simply sit back living our lives and become oblivious to things around us. We elect officials that don't ask us about how we think or feel about things. They in turn are influenced by the big money spenders - ones that can further promote their own careers.
 It's a shame that as a people we forget the very basic idea that this country was founded upon - freedom. We fought for liberty from oppression. We banded together as a people against tyranny and over taxation. We were promised that there would be no taxation without representation. We do have representatives, but they don't seem to be fighting for us or to keep our freedoms. They spread rumors, lies, and innuendos about one another in an effort to confuse us so they can stay in power. It is not the voice of the people they represent they hear it is the promise of big money to further their campaigns.
 I remember at one time how every mother used to say "one day my son wants to be president." It was something to be proud of. In reality the job is a thankless one that is run by the party he represents. These two parties have fought so hard against one another that they forgot about how to take care of business. Because of this our country is facing serious financial downfalls. Words such as honesty, integrity, and conviction are on the endangered list because the meaning behind them has been forgotten.
 Remember the words "the land of the free and the home of the brave?" How is it the land of the free when those that work hard for their paychecks receive only 50%-75% of what they work for? How is it the home of the brave when we have so many people that sit at home and complain about issues from the comfort of their chairs in front of a computer when they don't even look to see what is actually happening? It is cowardice to sit back and watch everything that was bought with the blood of patriots wash away in the tears of ignorance.
 Why are the important issues that they spout on things like gay marriage, plural marriage, or abortion? If a man marries a man he loves does it keep food off your table? If a man marries two or even three women does it make you cheat on your spouse? If a woman is pregnant and gets an abortion does it mean that you won't get your income tax refund? Should these even be issues of a governmental body? Not unless we are paying for them with our tax dollars.
 I urge each and every person to become aware of what is happening in this country. I challenge each person to actually see what the issues are that seriously need to be addressed. Not what the politicians tell you needs to be looked at but what really matters. Quit listening to rhetoric and following a political party like it's a religion to be revered.
 We, the people, have put ourselves here and it will take we, the people, to dig ourselves out. Let us show that patriotism and love of the country is not dead. Step outside the confines of Democrat and Republican brainwashing and remove the blinders so you can discover who and what is best to represent this country and bring it back on track.
 One of the first ways is to stop electing people that support big money and bills like SOPA and PIPA and show them that WE will not stand back while they line their pockets at the expense of our freedoms. I am not a Democrat or a Republican. I am not a Liberal or a Conservative. I am not a label that they want to force upon me because I do not stand back and support their continued destruction. I am an American who loves this country and the ideas it was founded upon; and I am tired of watching power mongers rule and ruin and never accept responsibility for their actions.
No more.

If you want to prove you are just like the rest of the people  then get paid like the people you claim to represent

Black Out in Opposition to SOPA and PIPA

Tomorrow my blogspot will be blacked out in opposition to SOPA and PIPA. The names may sound like cute anime characters, but in reality they are a step in taking away more freedoms from the American people. I urge all of you to write your congressmen and senators to tell them to say now to SOPA and PIPA. Thank you.

Here comes the snow?

We were told there was going to finally be snow here in Wisconsin last night. They lied. It just started a little bit ago. I guess that just goes to show that predicting the weather is not an exact science.
My boys will be super excited that we finally have some white out there. One of the things they absolutely love about Wisconsin is the snow. When we first moved here, about ten years ago, I used to tease them about wearing their snow boots. Every time they wore them it snowed. It got to be that they wore them almost all Winter to make it snow. Cian would tromp around the kitchen in his snow boots just in case Mother Nature didn't see them on his feet. His pounding was an assurance that she would notice and keep the snow going. When I would tease yell at them to take them off, they would just giggle and run around the house yelling, "Snow! Snow!"
I think those days are over for Aidan now. It's not that he doesn't still enjoy the snow, although that might change now that he's driving. I think it's more that he is more interested in maintaining that cool teenage persona he has developed. After all, it's not cool to get too excited over things.
But that is another story entirely.
For those that have forgotten what snow is - since it's been so long here - remember to drive safely.

Okay, click on the rafflecopter link to enter the giveaway! This giveaway is for those on the Fox Valley Facebook site only. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Look Into 2012 - Apocalypse or Transition?

There has been a lot of hype with going into 2012. Many believe that the Mayan calendar shows that the world will end and disaster will engulf the world. Of course predictions of the world ending has been going on for a long time now. Many people seem to just be waiting for the end of the world. But trying to determine what is going to happen? The best one can do is speculate. I wouldn't recommend people stop paying their mortgages or quitting their jobs just yet.

If we look at 2012 in numerology we come up with the number 5. (2 + 0 + 1 + 2 = 5) The number five when dealing with years suggests a major change. It states that people will be going in a new direction. There will be no easy way to follow the same routine of the past.

Astrologically we look at 2012 there are interesting occurrences. For instance, on June 6, 2012 Venus will perfectly align with the Earth and we will have a complete solar eclipse on November 13. Plus, we see that on June 24, 2012 is the first of seven of Uranus/Pluto squares which do not end until 2015. The last time this happened was in the 1930's when Hitler and Stalin were able to virtually bewitch large masses of people, the Great Depression took hold of the United States, and the Hindenburg exploded. I imagine that many people living during this era thought it was indeed the end of the world.

If we look at what Nostradamus had to say, for those that have credence in his prophesies, predicted that in the 13th sign in the zodiac on December 21, 2012 will come the end of the world as mankind knows it. The sign, Ophiuchus, is supposed to be an unlucky sign. During this time a "Dark Rift" will happen as Sagittarius points his arrow directly at the center of the universe. A pole shift is said to happen, which is predicted to happen every 13,000 years or so, is predicted to occur during this time. Of course even though many people had not heard of a 13th sign until it made news last year, the sign has been in existence from it's discovery in 130 AD.

What everything here seems to have in common is the word "change." No matter how you look at it 2012 is a time of change, like any new year. If disaster were to come would there be any way to stop it? Is anyone able to talk to an earthquake and get it to stop? Can you effectively ask a flood to just recede? Can you look a tornado in the eye and scare it into submission? Not likely. 

So, what can we do? We can move with the change. If a large "Galactic Wave" is to come and is meant to come it will come. In the meantime we can only do what we can do. We take care of things we can take care of. We accomplish things that we are able to accomplish. We live. We love. We adapt.

So, from what I can tell 2012 does not have to be a year of catastrophe but it could be a year of needed change in our world. Change does not have to be a bad thing.

During the Holiday

I know that a lot of people struggle with finances these days. The entire country itself is struggling with finances which only makes things more difficult on business and people in general. This is a great time of stress as well. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to give and make other people we love happy. Sometimes that is just impossible. I know of families that have members that have lost their jobs. The stress became so bad that they fought with each other and one of the parties leaves the other behind. This causes more stress. The other party then doesn't perform as well at work or in her/his relationships outside. They lose friends and become more isolated. This is all a trap. So before you become a statistic think of these things:

1. A gift is one that comes from the heart. It can be as simple as a smile or a note that tells someone how important they are. It does not have to cost money or run on batteries or electricity. If a person doesn't appreciate such a gift then it is their own materialism in question and not your generosity.

2. If you are going through hard times your spouse/significant other is the person you should most be able to lean on. Before arguing about money think about what is truly important. I know for a fact that if I lost everything I own today and still had my family I would feel lucky and blessed. My house is a thing. My car is a thing. My family is my heart. I may not plan on losing my home or car, but things happen that are sometimes beyond our control. Think about this for a bit and you will understand what I mean. Arguing over things are not as important as maintaining communication and love.

3. Never give up. Sometimes help comes from the most unexpected sources. I know someone personally that a year ago had lost it all. They kept the family together. They persevered, managed to gain other employment and a year later are back on their feet - as a family. Put out good energies instead of focusing on the bad that happens.

4. Give up on the past. Don't place blame on everyone and everything else. Focusing blame doesn't change your circumstances. The only way to move forward is to focus on what you need, not on what you may have lost or may lose. Sometimes people blame others and other things just to justify themselves. It's not necessary. Being right or wrong doesn't change the circumstance. It only holds us back longer and tends to make us seem that we are feeling sorry for ourselves.

For those of us that have been blessed with continued good fortune, pass it along. I don't mean with money or gifts, but with support, love, and encouragement.

Remember, an act of kindness never truly goes unnoticed, sometimes it just feels that way because we expect immediate results.