Monday, January 30, 2012

Civility: Week 5: January 30, 2012

A nation, as a society, forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society.

Thomas Jefferson, Founding Father and third U.S. president

   Wow, interesting how our goverment is trying to detract from our morality in its attempt to force a change in how private organizations, schools, churches are run. 
   I think we have as private citizens, let our nation guide us in our choices. I think we need to take back our decision making on values, morals and behavior!

   We can do this civily. We don't have to rant and scream. BUT, WE DO HAVE TO ACT!

   My experiment this year is beefing up my own civility towards others. So far, in Week 5 I've been doing okay. But then this healthcare issue (http://usccb.org/news/2012/12-015.cfm)   hits me in the face, and I have to ask. Just how far can you take being calm about everything?
   Yet, I see Jesus being calm in the face of his detractors, even toward his jailers, the guys who used the cat-o-nine tails to whip him bloody, the guys who hammered nails in to his hands and sides. Was he cursing them as they hammered? Was it because he was too tired and beat up to scream "stop it!" at them?
   As I think about being civil, I have to really delve into what it means to be...civil. And Jesus was the most civil person I could imagine.
   Through all his pain and agony, he showed civility. He was considerate to Veronica who wiped his face with her veil as he dragged that heavy cross through the city. He was considerate to the criminals who were hanging beside him on Calvary, telling the Good Thief, "This day you will be with me in Paradise."
   Yet in all his civility, he never rescinded his faith in his Father. Even when asking if this cup could pass him by, it was a request, not a demand.
   Jesus' civility in all his trials shows me that I too can be civil in matters of standing up for what is right without threatening someone about it.
   Afterall, showing people the right way, God's way, is by living an example of peace and good will, of trying to educate people to God's love and mercy. It's not by giving in to their imposed "values" or demands. It's standing up for God's values and explaining the reason why I stand up for God's values.
It's not by giving up and going along with the crowd.
   So, write to your legislators and speak up, with civility, about the unconstitutional way our present administration is trying to change our morality and values. You can click here and get there:
http://usccb.org/

   Meanwhile, at home I'm working on being civil with our new puppy. Don't ya just love puppies, unless you are training them, working on their behavior, pulling them away from eating your shoes one last time or pulling his mouth off the cat's head for the 159th time?
   Having pets, inside pets is assaulting my sense of civility. It has been a really trying lesson in letting go and trying to be patient with an animal. When my kids were babies, they did crazy stuff too, but somehow they always seemed to learn to stop doing it, at least out of my eyesight!!
   The puppy is not learning this trick, and it seems at times, he even trying to get a rise out of me by doing more and more to erase all sense of civility in me toward him.  So as I work on my civility toward society, educate my government's leaders toward a more value based way of thinking, I am also working on the behavior of our new puppy.  Which one will cause me to break first this week....the puppy and the government are neck and neck right now!

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