By: Deirdre Littlefield
God is a part of my everyday life. I talk to him often, thank him and ask him for his help.
I often wonder, Why does it feel weird to say his name in regular conversation?
I’m not sure who believes in him so maybe I’m afraid to bring it up. Life can be painful at times and my faith has walked me through it all. I hope that everybody prays and believes like I do so they can feel the same relief that God has given to me consistently. I have shared my beliefs at home from day one and have faith that my children will learn what they live.
There are so many religions and gods who are adored so the details and opinions can be intimidating to discuss as we don’t want to offend anybody. Our society as a whole seems to have decided to just avoid the conversation altogether. We don’t agree on who our God is or which religion to follow; so we just don’t bring him up.
The problem is that God’s law in many religions teaches us how to achieve peace and happiness through self discipline. In my religion, I’ve been taught to honor God; therefore always knowing somebody is greater than me. I’ve been encouraged to tell the truth, respect authority and not to envy my neighbors. The teachings of God have also inspired me to be charitable to those less fortunate. Consequently I’ve learned that human beings are equal. It doesn’t matter how much money we have, how seemingly talented we are or how beautiful one is. I believe that God has given us each our own unique gifts to share with this world and they each hold equal value.
I worry that with the absence of God’s name, we have abandoned the basic values of generations past. These are the things I try to teach my children daily with God At the center. I do believe we can instill these beloved principles into our children as a community without using his name. If we get to the heart of parenting, we all want the same thing I’m sure-thoughtful, hard-working kids with integrity who will grow into happy, productive adults. Just because we don’t all agree on who God is or even if God is, doesn’t mean that the principles taught and cherished by our ancestors should disappear. They have longevity for a reason.
I do not think we all need to honor the same God to live in peace and order. I just believe there are basic ethics we can all agree on. Perhaps if we keep the conversation alive it will help to preserve the values we all hold dear in our communities.
Community Voices for Health 