FAITH OF OUR FATHERS

I wanted to talk a little bit about faith and before you roll your eyes or quit reading I would like to say, not any faith in particular, as I’m not a man of the cloth and not that qualified to speak about it. But what I want to talk about is the reason or reasons it is becoming more and more unpopular in society. It seems fitting that I am writing about this at Christmas time because there is a definite tie in with some religions this time of the year. Christmas and Hanukah both being celebrated. It is my belief that if most people don’t practice their parents faith, or any other they have been introduced too, they pretty well wash the faith part of life, out of their lives and their children’s lives’ and for most of them that’s forever. The exceptions would be spouses or friends who won’t give it up and ask you to participate. Peer pressure you might say. I could say I saw this coming a long time ago because at a young age I saw families worshiping together frequently and then later in life I noticed a lot of them dropping the kids off at church or Sunday school and picking them up afterwards and I often wondered why at some point the kids wouldn’t think, “They want me to go but they don’t?” Do as I say, not as I do, doesn’t work very well in the long run. So what do people gain by practicing some faith? Morality, virtue, love and respect for your fellow man come to mind. Look around you and see what the lack of this is doing to society. I don’t mean to imply that good people can’t live and prosper in this country without faith in some personal deity. I don’t mean to say that religious people can’t do bad things-- they can and they do everyday. Foxes in sheep’s clothing they are. But no one hates them more then the religious people, for they aren’t just sinners they are hypocrites. But the trend in this country seems to be less and less of the virtues that define us as good people and most of us need all the help we can get with that. Most religions help us keep our minds and noses clean by rules and a clearer definition of the laws of good conduct. They spell it out for us and praise us when we succeed and shame us when we don’t. A working conscience can be a good and helpful thing. Church and worship has never been a mandatory thing, at least in our society’s rules and that’s good because if you are going to win rewards for participating, it has to come from your heart. I still hear references to God and Jesus and prayers being offered for people at tragic, events. Not sure always if the sincerity is there but who am I to judge. I guess what it does say is that people are still turning that way for help in times of need and that’s what it’s there for is it not? I just think it would be nice if the beliefs this country was founded on were still front and center with people and not seemingly relegated to the back burner to be used only when things go bad. After all, even your parents when you were growing up, liked a little thanksgiving from you from time to time and not always just petitions for more things. Or is it just karma that’s important now days?