Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Holy Days

Holidays are for family.

We've heard it all our lives but what happens when the "holy" in holiday becomes overwhelming?

My family is diverse. We have several ethnic groups represented along with differing religions, Mormon being the newcomer to the family. One of my daughters is "born again christian", and whatever that entails. Another of my children is a recovering alcoholic so AA is the religion of choice. One of my children has enough sense to be agnostic. My grandchildren are nothing I can put a handle on, some worship the dollar and others themselves and I...am an atheist.

Imagine this crowd at a holiday dinner. Do we say grace before the meal, after the meal or not at all? I didn't get into the discussion but we did it all. Before and after, I still don't understand why god needs to hear it twice, or why anyone but god has to hear it at all, for that matter.

Oh, do I sound bitter? I am in the sense that when I go out with my religious children for dinner in a restaurant I have to listen to them pray. Why? Do they not consider that they invited me, knowing how I feel and that I might not want to make a spectacle of myself in public?

Why does anyone pray in public? I read something about prayer being private here.

First time maybe, but it seems the bible agrees with me.

2 comments:

tina FCD said...

Good post, I liked it, especially this:Prayer is private, public prayer is condemned, repeated prayer is vain and unnecessary.

Interested said...

I just came back from lunch with my daughter. She is a christian author. I only recently moved to the same town where she lives so having lunch with her is really a new adventure. Yes, she prayed before the meal....in a BBQ joint. Oh well, at least it was silent prayer.