I'm kind of on pins and needles. There are some big career type decisions forthcoming, And I'm not really making them. So I have that rolling feeling in the pit of my stomach that makes me crave coffee and dodge food. I'll have it until I know for sure what's going on.
Makes me wonder sometimes if I would be happier with my life if I didn't know the things I know. If I just kind of drifted along... Not really..because it's the not knowing that drives me batty.
So I get a phone call last night from the nice folks at Islamicity.com. Having requested a Qu'ran from them (I am apparently collecting different translations), they like to follow up with a phone to see if you will say your Shahadah over the phone. On some level I appreciate the work they do, I know they're trying to make Islam accessible and understandable for people. On another level, if I ever do take the Shahada, I don't think I'll do it over the phone. Conversion or, according to Ahmed of Islamicity, reversion, seems like, I don't know, maybe something that should at least be done in person, if not with some degree of ritual. Maybe that's my Catholic ritualistic sensibilities talking.
So Ahmed calls, interrupting my dinner of re-heated pizza and Mythbusters, and we end up on the phone for hours. I know they give these nice people scripts, and I get some sort of private thrill out of making them break out of their script. I mean seriously, if you want to talk about something as personal as religion with me, I need to know who you are. Ahmed is from Sudan, attended UAB for his MBA and lives in LA now where he can't find a decent apartment for a decent price and misses the lower cost of living in Alabama, but woud not give up the larger community he is a part of now.
See? That's what I do. I make it personal. I love learning about people and talking to them and sharing a little bit of life and connecting. I do it at work, and the people who call my boss frequently know me by name, and I know their wives, families, the things that are going on in their lives, and I keep it all straight. I know who has grandchildren and who has children getting married and who is stressed out by work and whose kids are driving them crazy. I know these things because I ask, politely always, but people do like to talk a little and know that someone is genuinely interested in them. And I am. They call it being personable.
So Ahmed decides last night that even though I didn't take the Shahadah over the phone, in his eyes, I am "Unofficially Muslim." And he said my Arabic, while limited, is beautiful. I don't know how the fella feels about this yet, he's been a little reserved on the topic. Mostly because I know he's trying to let me find my own way. Sometimes because I think my questions are getting too hard for him now.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Want to go to Roly Poly? aka Should I fast?
The fella apparently got Roly Poly on the brain for lunch today, that's where we ended up going. I really do enjoy spending time with him. He's fun to talk to, likes to laugh and play a bit, which is something I really need when the office starts wearing on me.
Still cracks me up when he uses his American name, though. He does it because some people, especially in the deep south, have a hard time pronouncing his name, or his name starts up conversation that he would sometimes rather avoid. He just doesn't picture well in my mind as anything other than what he is.
I ordered him a present for Ramadan. Since they can be difficult to get here, I found a place online where I could order a miswak..which is a kind of natural toothbrush stick thing. Since most practicing Muslims avoid brushing their teeth during daylight hours in order to preserve their fasting state, they need an alternative way to take care of business...hence the Miswak. Mohammed was big on their use, so most people are allowed to use them...especially since they don't require water and rinsing and stuff. I'll own up to being incredibly curious as to how they function and how well they function. Maybe for Eid I'll hook him up with one of those hoses that attaches to the toilet for cleaning.
The ex and I resolved our difference of opinion. We're trying to be very grown up and mature and amicable..but we all slip sometimes.
I'm thinking of joining the fella as he fasts over Ramadan..maybe a sort of test-drive of Islam in a way..maybe more of a misery loves company kind of thing. We'll see. Or, if anyone reads this, what do you think? Should I fast during Ramadan?
Still cracks me up when he uses his American name, though. He does it because some people, especially in the deep south, have a hard time pronouncing his name, or his name starts up conversation that he would sometimes rather avoid. He just doesn't picture well in my mind as anything other than what he is.
I ordered him a present for Ramadan. Since they can be difficult to get here, I found a place online where I could order a miswak..which is a kind of natural toothbrush stick thing. Since most practicing Muslims avoid brushing their teeth during daylight hours in order to preserve their fasting state, they need an alternative way to take care of business...hence the Miswak. Mohammed was big on their use, so most people are allowed to use them...especially since they don't require water and rinsing and stuff. I'll own up to being incredibly curious as to how they function and how well they function. Maybe for Eid I'll hook him up with one of those hoses that attaches to the toilet for cleaning.
The ex and I resolved our difference of opinion. We're trying to be very grown up and mature and amicable..but we all slip sometimes.
I'm thinking of joining the fella as he fasts over Ramadan..maybe a sort of test-drive of Islam in a way..maybe more of a misery loves company kind of thing. We'll see. Or, if anyone reads this, what do you think? Should I fast during Ramadan?
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
If at first you don't succeed....
Repeat yourself until their eyes bleed.
The fella's latest debate tactic is thinning my nerves badly. I called him to see if he wanted to meet up for lunch.
"Habibi, I'm going out to run some errands."
Okay. Now here I would like to blame my American directness for not GUESSING that was a "no" right away. So I ask him if he would like to meet outside of his store, maybe Roly Poly? I get a long, thoughtful pause. He likes Roly Poly...a LOT.
"Habibi, I'm going to run errands."
Right, got that. American people need to hear the word "No" sometimes apparently. I chalk this up to a language breakdown and persist.
"Maybe I'm gonna meet you then I'm gonna be late. I'm going to run some errands."
Literally we just talked circles around each other for more than ten minutes before I just gave up.
I'm feeling like I'm in a mental brick wall anyways today. Work's piling up faster than I can put it out, and lunch? Yeah I had no time for lunch.
Thinking of Pizza for dinner.
The fella's latest debate tactic is thinning my nerves badly. I called him to see if he wanted to meet up for lunch.
"Habibi, I'm going out to run some errands."
Okay. Now here I would like to blame my American directness for not GUESSING that was a "no" right away. So I ask him if he would like to meet outside of his store, maybe Roly Poly? I get a long, thoughtful pause. He likes Roly Poly...a LOT.
"Habibi, I'm going to run errands."
Right, got that. American people need to hear the word "No" sometimes apparently. I chalk this up to a language breakdown and persist.
"Maybe I'm gonna meet you then I'm gonna be late. I'm going to run some errands."
Literally we just talked circles around each other for more than ten minutes before I just gave up.
I'm feeling like I'm in a mental brick wall anyways today. Work's piling up faster than I can put it out, and lunch? Yeah I had no time for lunch.
Thinking of Pizza for dinner.
Monday, August 20, 2007
One of my more embarassing moments
Recently, I took my fella to a concert along with his brother and one of his best friends. My fella is Egyptian, as are his brother and friend. I'm white. We turned over our tickets and passed through the security checkpoint where I sailed through, but all three of the men with me were pulled aside and searched. I'm still trying to figure out if I am more appalled about what the security personnel did (pretty obviously profiling) or that I didn't have the spine at time to say anything.
I don't think of myself as a racist. But I think I have become accustomed certain privileges my race affords me. I rarely get stopped at security checkpoints. I get warnings instead of speeding tickets. I am accustomed to quick service in restaurants, good seats, being treated well in stores and over the phone. All of these things I take for granted, and I see that more and more when I am with my fella.
I may not be a racist, but am I benefiting from a racist society and thereby promoting it?
So where was my spine this weekend? Why didn't I speak up to the security personnel? Not even a sarcastic "Profile much?" escaped my lips.
I'm still trying to figure that out.
I don't think of myself as a racist. But I think I have become accustomed certain privileges my race affords me. I rarely get stopped at security checkpoints. I get warnings instead of speeding tickets. I am accustomed to quick service in restaurants, good seats, being treated well in stores and over the phone. All of these things I take for granted, and I see that more and more when I am with my fella.
I may not be a racist, but am I benefiting from a racist society and thereby promoting it?
So where was my spine this weekend? Why didn't I speak up to the security personnel? Not even a sarcastic "Profile much?" escaped my lips.
I'm still trying to figure that out.
1,001 Questions
Continuing with pulls from my facebook notes, to elaborate on my crisis of faith:
There's a God, for sure. I'm pretty comfortable with that idea. I recently heard it verbalized well by Baba Ali in his "Why Islam" episode of the Reminder series: That just be cause you can't see the architect standing in front of his building, it doesn't mean you think he doesn't exist, or that all the components of the building came together by some cosmic accident.
I think God is perfect, or what we understand to be perfect, loving and compassionate. When we say that we are made in God's image, I don't think that means God has hands and feet (unless He wants them) I think that means that we are free to choose whether we will love him back or not; and whether we will show that love or not. It's the greatest gift we could have been given..the capacity to choose.
We express our love for God through emulating (however weakly) His characteristics. When we show love, kindness and compassion to our fellow man, it's as close to God as we can get. I don't just mean words. It's pretty across the board that no one believes people who say one thing and do another. No one believes that a man who abuses his wife loves her. In that same sense, God's not gonna buy it if we say we love him, but hurt others in our actions. We had to be taught what constituted acts of love against acts of selfishness. Which is what I largely believe the point of Religion to be...the teaching tool for us to learn to express love. Rather, ideally it's the tool for that. People aren't perfect, and never can be. Which is why we screw up so much.
Making that choice to be loving or selfish is difficult. Will I hurt myself to help another? It goes against basic instinct to do so, so why do we consider that an expression of love? Because when we do express love, it's as close to God as we can get, and God's in a pretty cool place.
I'm comfortable with the idea of a judgment. I don't think it'll take a day. But using our concept of time as a marker, there is going to come a point where God sits down with us and helps us to see the choices we have made. He'll be able to look with us through our lives and see which of us loved him, and which of us didn't. And those of us who lived our lives in an attempt to express that love, will get to hang out with God. Those of us that didn't love him, and lived only to fulfill our own selfish needs, will get to accept the consequences of that choice and be removed from God.
I always liked the theory that Hell wasn't sulfur and brimstone and being poked with pitchforks; but that Hell is regret, the absence of God's presence, and his withdrawal. Not out of lack of love, but because of it. Even parents can only be kicked in the teeth so much before they just have to say, "You don't love me, that's okay. It's your choice not to love me. So I'll give you what you want, and won't have anything to do with you anymore."
So having that basis of faith...taking all the scripture out of it, stripping it down to the raw components, I have building blocks for the questions I have.
It's difficult for me to accept the idea of a points system for the afterlife. While I just said that a life lived expressing love with result in an afterlife of closeness with God; doing "good deeds" so to speak just to insure that sort of takes the most important component out of it: Love. Doing good for good's sake, because someone or something needs help and you are able to help them is an expression of love. In my discussion with the fella, I hear a lot of "Well this act counts as 25 of these other acts," or something similar. Catholicism has this too. We call it the Indulgence system. So which is greater? An act done for extra afterlife points, or an act of selflessness?
Separating the culture from the religion is a difficulty across the board. Again, something common to Catholicism and to Islam. But on the books, Islam is a very sexually progressive religion: being among the first to offer women the right to choose their spouse, to hold them equal in the eyes of God, to speak of them with respect, and, as well, to consider their pleasure and needs, while usually different from those of a man, to be equally important in the survivability of a marriage. Islam approaches sex from an angle of communion, a necessary and pleasurable act for both men and women. Christianity, on the books, fails on this point, viewing women as inferior to men, separated from God, the source of sin, and sex is for procreation and no other purpose. So my question would be, how is it that Today's Christian-based cultures typically offer women a more equal footing than the Muslim-based cultures? I know the reasoning behind Christian women not typically being clergy (something that is changing); but why can't Muslim women be Imams? They are, in God's eyes, equal in standing and intelligence. I have seen female Islamic Scholars. So why can they not be Imam?
What is the official Islamic standing on the crucifixion? I have heard that another man was crucified in Christ's place, and I have read Ahmed Deedat's theory that the crucifixion didn't actually kill Christ. So if Jesus got a stand-in, why would God deceive people? Going back to my basic idea that God is perfect, God isn't a deceiver, he doesn't lie. Why would God Lie?
I see, as I read the Qu'ran, a lot of bits that pertain directly to Mohammed, such as the accusations against one of his wives, as well as the squabble between his wives. A perfect recitation would speak in generalities, wouldn't it? I mean certainly there can be examples of Mohammed's life that can be used to teach others, but if that's the case, then certainly that same rule must apply to Jesus and the Gospels, that of course they aren't the perfect recitation of the word of God..but that lessons can be gleaned from the writings of the men who walked with Jesus. Same goes for Moses and Abraham. Why is there such a broad spectrum rejection of the previous scriptures..even to the point of people referring to Jesus as "So Called"? Why, when the Qu'ran is so very clear on it's approach to previous scripture (They must be studied, the people who follow them must be treated with respect), is there such a broad spectrum of disrespect toward them?
While the Shi'ite view toward Jihad, violence (when necessary) and the other Abrahamic faiths is more in line with American Mass Media's perception of Islam, why is it that the Terrorist groups we fear the Most (Al Qaeda) declare themselves Sunni?
There's a God, for sure. I'm pretty comfortable with that idea. I recently heard it verbalized well by Baba Ali in his "Why Islam" episode of the Reminder series: That just be cause you can't see the architect standing in front of his building, it doesn't mean you think he doesn't exist, or that all the components of the building came together by some cosmic accident.
I think God is perfect, or what we understand to be perfect, loving and compassionate. When we say that we are made in God's image, I don't think that means God has hands and feet (unless He wants them) I think that means that we are free to choose whether we will love him back or not; and whether we will show that love or not. It's the greatest gift we could have been given..the capacity to choose.
We express our love for God through emulating (however weakly) His characteristics. When we show love, kindness and compassion to our fellow man, it's as close to God as we can get. I don't just mean words. It's pretty across the board that no one believes people who say one thing and do another. No one believes that a man who abuses his wife loves her. In that same sense, God's not gonna buy it if we say we love him, but hurt others in our actions. We had to be taught what constituted acts of love against acts of selfishness. Which is what I largely believe the point of Religion to be...the teaching tool for us to learn to express love. Rather, ideally it's the tool for that. People aren't perfect, and never can be. Which is why we screw up so much.
Making that choice to be loving or selfish is difficult. Will I hurt myself to help another? It goes against basic instinct to do so, so why do we consider that an expression of love? Because when we do express love, it's as close to God as we can get, and God's in a pretty cool place.
I'm comfortable with the idea of a judgment. I don't think it'll take a day. But using our concept of time as a marker, there is going to come a point where God sits down with us and helps us to see the choices we have made. He'll be able to look with us through our lives and see which of us loved him, and which of us didn't. And those of us who lived our lives in an attempt to express that love, will get to hang out with God. Those of us that didn't love him, and lived only to fulfill our own selfish needs, will get to accept the consequences of that choice and be removed from God.
I always liked the theory that Hell wasn't sulfur and brimstone and being poked with pitchforks; but that Hell is regret, the absence of God's presence, and his withdrawal. Not out of lack of love, but because of it. Even parents can only be kicked in the teeth so much before they just have to say, "You don't love me, that's okay. It's your choice not to love me. So I'll give you what you want, and won't have anything to do with you anymore."
So having that basis of faith...taking all the scripture out of it, stripping it down to the raw components, I have building blocks for the questions I have.
It's difficult for me to accept the idea of a points system for the afterlife. While I just said that a life lived expressing love with result in an afterlife of closeness with God; doing "good deeds" so to speak just to insure that sort of takes the most important component out of it: Love. Doing good for good's sake, because someone or something needs help and you are able to help them is an expression of love. In my discussion with the fella, I hear a lot of "Well this act counts as 25 of these other acts," or something similar. Catholicism has this too. We call it the Indulgence system. So which is greater? An act done for extra afterlife points, or an act of selflessness?
Separating the culture from the religion is a difficulty across the board. Again, something common to Catholicism and to Islam. But on the books, Islam is a very sexually progressive religion: being among the first to offer women the right to choose their spouse, to hold them equal in the eyes of God, to speak of them with respect, and, as well, to consider their pleasure and needs, while usually different from those of a man, to be equally important in the survivability of a marriage. Islam approaches sex from an angle of communion, a necessary and pleasurable act for both men and women. Christianity, on the books, fails on this point, viewing women as inferior to men, separated from God, the source of sin, and sex is for procreation and no other purpose. So my question would be, how is it that Today's Christian-based cultures typically offer women a more equal footing than the Muslim-based cultures? I know the reasoning behind Christian women not typically being clergy (something that is changing); but why can't Muslim women be Imams? They are, in God's eyes, equal in standing and intelligence. I have seen female Islamic Scholars. So why can they not be Imam?
What is the official Islamic standing on the crucifixion? I have heard that another man was crucified in Christ's place, and I have read Ahmed Deedat's theory that the crucifixion didn't actually kill Christ. So if Jesus got a stand-in, why would God deceive people? Going back to my basic idea that God is perfect, God isn't a deceiver, he doesn't lie. Why would God Lie?
I see, as I read the Qu'ran, a lot of bits that pertain directly to Mohammed, such as the accusations against one of his wives, as well as the squabble between his wives. A perfect recitation would speak in generalities, wouldn't it? I mean certainly there can be examples of Mohammed's life that can be used to teach others, but if that's the case, then certainly that same rule must apply to Jesus and the Gospels, that of course they aren't the perfect recitation of the word of God..but that lessons can be gleaned from the writings of the men who walked with Jesus. Same goes for Moses and Abraham. Why is there such a broad spectrum rejection of the previous scriptures..even to the point of people referring to Jesus as "So Called"? Why, when the Qu'ran is so very clear on it's approach to previous scripture (They must be studied, the people who follow them must be treated with respect), is there such a broad spectrum of disrespect toward them?
While the Shi'ite view toward Jihad, violence (when necessary) and the other Abrahamic faiths is more in line with American Mass Media's perception of Islam, why is it that the Terrorist groups we fear the Most (Al Qaeda) declare themselves Sunni?
Going to Atlanta..my crisis of faith explained, sorta
The following something I posted on my facebook page in my notes. It explains sort of where my head is on this whole crisis of faith thing.
I had to explain my crisis of faith to the Fella last night. I had been trying all day to find the words, and they would get incredibly tangled up. Considering his first language isn't English, my convoluted mumblings and half sentences couldn't have been easy for him.So he comes over for dinner that night, mostly because he knows I was making lamb and rice and okra and tomatoes.
To any Muslims who get all hinky because he's coming to my house, he's been entrusted with my key. I don't have family here anymore and since his family's on the other side of the planet, we watch out for each other. Things are kept above-board.
So he pins me down on my faith issues. I pull out a copy of the Bible (NIV) and the Qu'ran (Abdullah Yusuf Ali's translation) and we st down with it and start picking apart the Islamic approach to Jesus. We find, that the Qu'ran acknowledges the miracles of Jesus..that he healed the sick, raised the dead, and even fed the multitudes (though the stories on the feeding the multitudes are a little different). He is acknowledged as the Messiah, though in Islam Messiah and Son of God do not mean the same thing...
Okay so all of this leads to my understanding my crisis of Faith. I had to explain it to the fella. It came out like this: "Just for metaphor's sake, let's say Heaven is Atlanta. You choose how to get to Atlanta based on where you start. If you live in Montgomery, you take I-85, if you live in Birmingham, you take I-20, and if you live in Chattanooga you take I-75. All three roads will get you to Atlanta in roughly the same amount of time. But let's say you find yourself in Clanton (About halfway between Montgomery and Birmingham). Which way is best? Go to Birmingham and take I-20 or go to Montgomery and Take I-85? Either way will get you to Atlanta as long as you stick to the highway and don't take any exits. The problem I'm having with my Church's response to my questions is that they try to tell me that I-20 doesn't go to Atlanta. But that's not true. I know in my heart that I-20 and I85 both go to Atlanta. I just ned to figure out which is the best route for me. Had I not read the Qu'ran, I-20 would have never entered my mind, I wouldn't know or understand it to any degree for that route to make sense. But the Qu'ran opened up my sort of faith-based Mapquest. And now I have to struggle with the decision of which road is best for me."
So that about sums it up. He seemed to understand it. Maybe you do too. I think it was a big step forward being able to verbalize the sense of directionlessness (if that's even a word) I'm feeling right now. Maybe someday I'll make some progress.
I had to explain my crisis of faith to the Fella last night. I had been trying all day to find the words, and they would get incredibly tangled up. Considering his first language isn't English, my convoluted mumblings and half sentences couldn't have been easy for him.So he comes over for dinner that night, mostly because he knows I was making lamb and rice and okra and tomatoes.
To any Muslims who get all hinky because he's coming to my house, he's been entrusted with my key. I don't have family here anymore and since his family's on the other side of the planet, we watch out for each other. Things are kept above-board.
So he pins me down on my faith issues. I pull out a copy of the Bible (NIV) and the Qu'ran (Abdullah Yusuf Ali's translation) and we st down with it and start picking apart the Islamic approach to Jesus. We find, that the Qu'ran acknowledges the miracles of Jesus..that he healed the sick, raised the dead, and even fed the multitudes (though the stories on the feeding the multitudes are a little different). He is acknowledged as the Messiah, though in Islam Messiah and Son of God do not mean the same thing...
Okay so all of this leads to my understanding my crisis of Faith. I had to explain it to the fella. It came out like this: "Just for metaphor's sake, let's say Heaven is Atlanta. You choose how to get to Atlanta based on where you start. If you live in Montgomery, you take I-85, if you live in Birmingham, you take I-20, and if you live in Chattanooga you take I-75. All three roads will get you to Atlanta in roughly the same amount of time. But let's say you find yourself in Clanton (About halfway between Montgomery and Birmingham). Which way is best? Go to Birmingham and take I-20 or go to Montgomery and Take I-85? Either way will get you to Atlanta as long as you stick to the highway and don't take any exits. The problem I'm having with my Church's response to my questions is that they try to tell me that I-20 doesn't go to Atlanta. But that's not true. I know in my heart that I-20 and I85 both go to Atlanta. I just ned to figure out which is the best route for me. Had I not read the Qu'ran, I-20 would have never entered my mind, I wouldn't know or understand it to any degree for that route to make sense. But the Qu'ran opened up my sort of faith-based Mapquest. And now I have to struggle with the decision of which road is best for me."
So that about sums it up. He seemed to understand it. Maybe you do too. I think it was a big step forward being able to verbalize the sense of directionlessness (if that's even a word) I'm feeling right now. Maybe someday I'll make some progress.
Baseball 4 Newbs
As you can see from previous posts, I took the Fella to a Montgomery Biscuits game Friday evening. We had it posh too. The Corporate Box is right over the dugout, has killer views, and the food rocks. Of course I had one of those "Maybe I shouldn't convert" moments.
For those that don't know, the fella is Muslim. He doesn't drink (Though it's not technically a nono, it's one of those "things better avoided") He doesn't eat pork (that would definitely be a nono)..are we seeing where a baseball stadium diet might get complicated?
As the Non Muslim half of us, especially in a particularly non-Muslim area, I kind of field test, investigate, and otherwise do what I can to protect the fella from undue porcine influences. In light of the corporation being owned by one of the city's most prominent Jewish people of influence; you would think the dinner at the stadium would have been Kosher (which is usually pretty acceptabel for people who eat Halal). That though was part of what convinced the fella to go. He knew there were usually hot dogs involved, and other pork products that make baseball dinner what it is.
We did have a great time. There was plenty of alternatives for the fella to gnosh upon...as well as my penchant for Baileys & Cheesecake, and a potato salad to die for. But yeah, I headed up the eating and gave the fella a heads up as to the contents of food if I knew what was in it.
Did the same Sunday Morning too. I had been having urges for Cracker Barrel. (Sometimes a girl just needs a southern-style breakfast) But breakfast in the South involves pork of some variety of pork 99.9% of the time. I was pretty much ready to relegate him to french toast when, to my surprise, I saw "turkey sausage" on the menu.
Wasn't bad at all. but the point being, as a Christian, and not having dietary restrictions, I sort of enjoy a field testing position for the fella when we go out. My understanding of food also helps me in determining mostly when there might be pork involved in something and when there may not be. If I were to convert, I would lose that status and be just as vulnerable to careless companies who use porcine products to make things that would normally have nothing to do with pork. That and I may not be able to have Bailey's cordials.
I always admired Jesus's satement that "It is not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; it is what comes out of it." Wise words, and things we should remember more often in our lives.
I'm going to take the next couple of posts and cut over some things from my facebook notes so that you can get a better idea of how mucky my faith is getting and why I would even consider conversion in the first place.
By the way. Biscuits lost that game, 11-4. Jacksonville Suns pwned.
For those that don't know, the fella is Muslim. He doesn't drink (Though it's not technically a nono, it's one of those "things better avoided") He doesn't eat pork (that would definitely be a nono)..are we seeing where a baseball stadium diet might get complicated?
As the Non Muslim half of us, especially in a particularly non-Muslim area, I kind of field test, investigate, and otherwise do what I can to protect the fella from undue porcine influences. In light of the corporation being owned by one of the city's most prominent Jewish people of influence; you would think the dinner at the stadium would have been Kosher (which is usually pretty acceptabel for people who eat Halal). That though was part of what convinced the fella to go. He knew there were usually hot dogs involved, and other pork products that make baseball dinner what it is.
We did have a great time. There was plenty of alternatives for the fella to gnosh upon...as well as my penchant for Baileys & Cheesecake, and a potato salad to die for. But yeah, I headed up the eating and gave the fella a heads up as to the contents of food if I knew what was in it.
Did the same Sunday Morning too. I had been having urges for Cracker Barrel. (Sometimes a girl just needs a southern-style breakfast) But breakfast in the South involves pork of some variety of pork 99.9% of the time. I was pretty much ready to relegate him to french toast when, to my surprise, I saw "turkey sausage" on the menu.
Wasn't bad at all. but the point being, as a Christian, and not having dietary restrictions, I sort of enjoy a field testing position for the fella when we go out. My understanding of food also helps me in determining mostly when there might be pork involved in something and when there may not be. If I were to convert, I would lose that status and be just as vulnerable to careless companies who use porcine products to make things that would normally have nothing to do with pork. That and I may not be able to have Bailey's cordials.
I always admired Jesus's satement that "It is not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; it is what comes out of it." Wise words, and things we should remember more often in our lives.
I'm going to take the next couple of posts and cut over some things from my facebook notes so that you can get a better idea of how mucky my faith is getting and why I would even consider conversion in the first place.
By the way. Biscuits lost that game, 11-4. Jacksonville Suns pwned.
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