Where do we draw the line

There  has been a lot of hatred, racism, going around the United States recently. You can't turn on your television or surf the internet without seeing all of this. I realize that hate will never leave us completely, but I do hope one day that we could all live at peace with one another.

Everyone is different, that is what makes us unique. I would really dislike it if we all looked, dressed, and ate the same thing. In the United States, you see a lot of diversity, from North to South and from East to West. The cultures are different, the foods are different, the speech is different. So why must we hate someone who is not like us? 

This new argument about the Confederate Flag has really gotten out of hand. People really need to learn their history. This flag which is colored red, white, and blue and has an "X" in the middle with thirteen stars on it, is not what it supposedly represents. Many people think it represents racism when in actuality, it was meant by the Southerners to show the Northeners that they wanted to be succeeded from the North. The "X" is overlayed onto the stars to show that they wanted no part in being a part of the thirteen colonies. Don't go blaming the flag, blame the people who misrepresent the true meaning. It's only hatred if you intend it to be hatred. 

Symbols have been misrepresented throughout history. Even some passages in the Bible have been misrepresented. They take what they want and turn it into something more malignant. If we go as far as getting rid of a flag, then what else should we get rid of because of what some interpret it as hatred or racist? 

Where do we draw the line? How do we get ourselves back to being a Nation of One and not a Country who battles each other over the littlest things? We should be more worried about taking care of each other and helping our own.  When we can look our neighbor in the eye and accept them for who they are then maybe we can become stronger. 

Okay, enough ranting for today. Thank you and Blessed Be

Random Rant 

I've recently started to blog, and I'm having a good time with it. The only trouble is trying to find something to write or blog about. The old saying goes."write what you know". Okay, I know a lot of stuff. Another is, "write what you are interested in". Again, Okay, I'm interested in a lot of stuff. The trouble is I seem to be a Jane of all trades and a master of not a darn thing. 

My brain is full of useful and useless information. I was just going to write about my religion, Paganism, but then there are many other things I would like to write about. 

I'm going to start off with a rant about blogging. The word 'blog' is a funny word to me. How did this word come about and why 'blog'?  While doing some research about this subject, I found out that in 1997, the term 'weblog' was created by Jorn Barger. It wasn't until 1999, that the term was shortened to 'blog'. Short and to the point history.

The internet has come a long way. I remember way back when you had to pay for AOL and have to use dial-up. I can still hear the dial tone and waiting for the little AOL man to come across the bottom of the screen and then the happy voice of "You've Got Mail", plus you were tying up your phone line in the process of playing on the internet (Sorry mom for having you listen to a busy signal every time you tried calling). Nowadays, AOL is free to start up as well as Yahoo and Gmail and you don't tie up your phone lines, because of DSL and High-Speed Internet that you can get from you local dish or cable company. 

Now, back to AOL. I used to surf the net for many different things, but most of the time I would be in AOL chat rooms and playing games with people from all over the world. Very entertaining  and I met a few friends along the way. Thinking about what I used the internet for back then to at this moment, I would have to say that we have come a long way, and in only just a few years. Then again the computer have come a long way as well. Before the internet, I used the computer to play games (only games) like Zelda, Wolfenstein 3D, Wing Commander, and Civilization. 

Now all the world is blogging, Oh, let's not forget the social media sites. Everyone with a computer is a member of some sort of social media site, Facebook being the most popular. Do you remember 'My Space'? I believe I still have mine, haven't been on it for many years. I think I should see if it's still available. Anyhow, that is my rant for the evening. Thank you for reading and until next time. Blessed Be.

Paganism

A lot of people have the question of 'What is Paganism?' For some, the term paganism is a word that should never be said. It represents evil, the devil, or anything horrid and bad. In actuality, the term is used to describe a religion who has multiple gods and goddess and does not have a central authority, per Webster Dictionary.

Paganism is not evil, those who practice the craft are kind-hearted individuals who fight for the underdog. They love nature and also try to be one with nature. They except those who feel they are different from society because they too feel they are different from society. Pagans have rituals and holidays that they celebrate just like any other religion. Most of the holidays that Pagans celebrate are the same holidays that Christians celebrate. Long ago Christians were very interested in the Pagan rituals but also they wanted to convert them at the same time. So, they decided to match holidays by making their holidays around the same time as the Pagan holidays. For example, Christians celebrate Christmas, the birth of Jesus, but nowhere in the bible does it state the exact time when he was born. December 21st is when Pagans would celebrate Yule or the Winter Solstice.

What seems to scare people most about Pagans is the rituals they do. This is why some call them Witches, because of the spells they do for themselves or a holiday. Some Pagans don't mind being called a Witch and others take offense. The ritual is a big part for most Pagans, they have an altar with candles, a statue of the god and goddess, an athame (knife), sage, cloth, a BOS (Book of Shadows) and even a wand. These are just some of the items you would find on an altar. These are not tools to do a sacrifice on small children or animals (as some would assume). They are tools to help the Pagan become closer to their deity when they perform a spell.

Another thing that scares people is the pentagram that a Pagan wears. This is a symbol that represents the four elements and spirit. Most Pagans wear a pentagram with one point up, two points up  represents the horned god. People who are into Satanism took over the two points up symbol and uses it to represent the devil. Pagans and Satanist are NOT the same. Pagans do not believe in the devil.

So, all in all, Pagans are just like you and me. They can be your co-worker, neighbor, acquaintance, the person you just passed on the street. We all live together on this Earth to do the same thing, to live out our lives in happiness.