I hate to sound so "Mary Sue" but...

...the world is not as bad as you think. People in the world are as bad and as good as you can imagine, and none of us, that's NONE OF US are perfect or right all the time.

We spend a lot of time criticizing and being shocked or offended by those who do not agree with us. We spend very little time accepting each other. I'm including me in this, and I wish I would stop it. I wish we all would.

I just saw a site attacking a church I used to belong to. Oh, I'm still a "Christian," or didn't you know that? No. I don't attend a church. I fully believe the Bible, and I'm a complete and total Jesus Freak who believes in the concept of salvation, the Trinity, and that whole Christ thing. I'm also a Pagan. I think I'm also becoming more zen. I don't belong to a church because of the distance humans can put between myself and God. It's not because churches are evil. It is because I was hurt by my own naivety, and I am very gullible sometimes.

I still accept and love those people. I am a product of being close to other human beings with similar beliefs. We start putting rules and control on one another in that situation. It's in our nature. It seems most of us who cannot take the "Stepford Christian" life any longer either blame the other humans caught up in the same thing and attack them, or they blame God and lose faith in Him.

I was of the second ilk until recently. I cannot explain what changed me because I think it was God, Himself. However, I still hurt for those who are looking for perfection in other humans and blaming those they've left for their imperfections. Acceptance is the thing we all seem to forget about God. It's the thing He's truely great at that we completely botch. That IS Biblical, by the way. See those books about that Jesus guy.

Even Paul - who contributed much to the New Testament - allowed his humanity to get in the way when he pointed to himself as an example and so harshly encouraged the attacking and snubbing of sinners. We are all sinners. If we follow that attitude, no one is left. Jesus kept trying to teach us that. Paul's Stoicism colored his faith, but he was a great example of loyalty to God.

Also, I'm a moderate liberal. Did you know that? I used to say I accepted everyone except those who were narrow minded or prejudiced. Well, I guess that included me where those people were concerned, didn't it? Perhaps, I can accept the people, yet I can reject the actions and attitudes that I find morally repugnant. Embracing people for who they are might just be the key to loving people - all people.

I wonder if I can do it?

At least I can try.