Letter to my Mother.
Since when has my religion been an issue with Poppa? I've discussed my beliefs with both of you more than one time. Considering some of the folks I know, my faith is stronger and I live in a more Christian manner than they ever did or do. I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't beat people up, I don't do drugs. I've helped more people without expecting anything back than anyone I know. So I'm at a loss as to why it is suddenly an issue now. If he needs some sort of assurance from me outside of my stated beliefs, I'm sorry I'm not going to lie about them.
And for the record, the last 3 times I've talked to him, it was me calling him, out of 6 phone calls that I made. The last time someone from china called me it was Nanny after I'd left my new number on the answering machine.
I'm intentionally not having a ceremony that speaks of my beliefs so that intolerant people can come and not be offended. I will not give lip service to beliefs I don't hold simply so someone can believe a lie to come.
My beliefs:
I believe in God. I believe all worshiped Gods are the same entity, and that every person who worships God does so through an aspect of the same God, an aspect they can relate to. Christians worship three aspects of God, Yahweh, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. As stated in Christianity, all three are the same. My belief is similar but expanded. I believe that essentially each aspect of God would be something akin to squeezing a balloon. The part that pops up between your hands is the aspect you're reaching out to, but it is only part of the whole. This is covered in the bible, as it is stated that no man can truly understand or essentially 'think' of god as a whole, we aren't smart enough to understand God in all of it's aspects.
My personal aspect, the one I pray to, the one that has guided my life, is Fortuna, one of the Patheon of Rome, the Goddess of Luck. A god by the way, I've heard him and you praise before. Both of you believe in Luck, and if we're going to go to the mat on beliefs, believing in luck is wrong for Christians if you want to be explicitly technical.
If that's not a satisfactory answer for him, then he doesn't have to come. I've never dishonored him, I've lived my life as best I know how, if he's too ashamed to stand for me at my wedding because of something that's not even true, then so be it, God apparently wants it that way.
This is the letter I just sent my mother in response to something she said to me in a lengthy email about family addresses for the wedding. Specifically (If you want Poppa to come, call him and tell him you believe in God.) Now I've discussed that I'm pagan more than one time with my grandfather, in person and on the phone, and outlined my beliefs as I did again here. I'm very much going out of my way not to offend my older relatives with things I personally would want in the ceremony. Which is ironic as most modern wedding traditions began with the ROMAN tradition.
There's another aspect of this for me also. I constantly get grief for not coming down and calling every single week. Yet I know from LIVING with my grandparents for a year, that no one else that lived away from the family is expected to do that. At most my cousins who live in Alaska (my mother's first cousin by marriage) call once a month. I'm compared to family members who can't keep jobs but can come visit all the time because well, they have all the time in the world. It makes me so angry each time it happens, like my success in life is somehow shameful because I'm not constantly traveling 1500 miles to visit.
We're having this wedding DOWN THERE for my family because it's convenient for all of them. Nicole's 93 year old grandmother is flying to Texas to be there, and now my grandfather may not go for this asinine reason. If he actually pulls this crap, I'm not sure what I will do, but it won't be pleasant.
And for the record, the last 3 times I've talked to him, it was me calling him, out of 6 phone calls that I made. The last time someone from china called me it was Nanny after I'd left my new number on the answering machine.
I'm intentionally not having a ceremony that speaks of my beliefs so that intolerant people can come and not be offended. I will not give lip service to beliefs I don't hold simply so someone can believe a lie to come.
My beliefs:
I believe in God. I believe all worshiped Gods are the same entity, and that every person who worships God does so through an aspect of the same God, an aspect they can relate to. Christians worship three aspects of God, Yahweh, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. As stated in Christianity, all three are the same. My belief is similar but expanded. I believe that essentially each aspect of God would be something akin to squeezing a balloon. The part that pops up between your hands is the aspect you're reaching out to, but it is only part of the whole. This is covered in the bible, as it is stated that no man can truly understand or essentially 'think' of god as a whole, we aren't smart enough to understand God in all of it's aspects.
My personal aspect, the one I pray to, the one that has guided my life, is Fortuna, one of the Patheon of Rome, the Goddess of Luck. A god by the way, I've heard him and you praise before. Both of you believe in Luck, and if we're going to go to the mat on beliefs, believing in luck is wrong for Christians if you want to be explicitly technical.
If that's not a satisfactory answer for him, then he doesn't have to come. I've never dishonored him, I've lived my life as best I know how, if he's too ashamed to stand for me at my wedding because of something that's not even true, then so be it, God apparently wants it that way.
This is the letter I just sent my mother in response to something she said to me in a lengthy email about family addresses for the wedding. Specifically (If you want Poppa to come, call him and tell him you believe in God.) Now I've discussed that I'm pagan more than one time with my grandfather, in person and on the phone, and outlined my beliefs as I did again here. I'm very much going out of my way not to offend my older relatives with things I personally would want in the ceremony. Which is ironic as most modern wedding traditions began with the ROMAN tradition.
There's another aspect of this for me also. I constantly get grief for not coming down and calling every single week. Yet I know from LIVING with my grandparents for a year, that no one else that lived away from the family is expected to do that. At most my cousins who live in Alaska (my mother's first cousin by marriage) call once a month. I'm compared to family members who can't keep jobs but can come visit all the time because well, they have all the time in the world. It makes me so angry each time it happens, like my success in life is somehow shameful because I'm not constantly traveling 1500 miles to visit.
We're having this wedding DOWN THERE for my family because it's convenient for all of them. Nicole's 93 year old grandmother is flying to Texas to be there, and now my grandfather may not go for this asinine reason. If he actually pulls this crap, I'm not sure what I will do, but it won't be pleasant.