Of course, then I googled the subject and quickly discovered that March 31st has been recognized in this fashion since 2009. Biden didn't just proclaim it out of thin air, he just recognized its existence in solidarity to a community that is under assault from the far right.
Folks, it took literally, seconds for me to understand the backstory, yet millions of Americans did not choose to spend those few seconds, less time that it took to read any of the hateful attacks on Biden, to discover the truth.
Additionally, I thought it interesting to do a quick walk down memory lane and research how Easter Sunday is determined. I say memory lane because, as someone who was raised a Catholic, who attended eight years of Parochial school, and four years of high school in a setting run by Christian Brothers, I probably knew the formula behind Easter Sunday at some time.
Do you know?
Without diving too far into the weeds, Easter Sunday falls on the first Sunday after the Paschal Moon. (Paschal is derived from pascha a transliteration of the Aramic word meaning Passover). What is the Paschal Moon? That is the first full moon that occurs after the spring equinox.
But where does the crucifixion of Jesus come in, you ask? Well, if my memory of the catechism I was taught serves, there was a tradition of freeing a condemned man at the time of the Passover. Jesus, having been condemned to die could have been granted freedom, but the story goes that when asked whom to free, the Jews in the crowd shouted for Barabbas to be freed, not Jesus.
As Christianity gained favor in the following decades, it made sense to align the death and resurrection of Jesus with the harbinger of new life, the spring equinox, which had been celebrated for thousands of years before the birth of Jesus.
So, just to summarize, Biden did not "choose" Easter Sunday, March 31st to honor Transgender Day of Visibility, it has been celebrated on that day since 2009. Also, Easter Sunday does not really memorialize the death of Jesus of Nazareth, if so we would celebrate the actual Friday before Passover when he was crucified. Instead we honor Jesus's sacrifice for our sins on the day he rose from the dead, by
co-opting the observance of spring which has been commemorated by humans for centuries.
So why all the hubbub about Biden's recognition of the annual Transgender Day of Visibility?
Can you say prejudice? It is hard to decide which group of people in America are being attacked more, the transgender community or the undocumented. Both are routinely pilloried in the conservative media, both labelled everything from subhuman to perverts. Their treatment is indicative of those Americans who are afraid of the changes that are outpacing their understanding, and who prefer to blame their own fear of mortality as well as the loss of the rose colored memories of their childhood on the people who are being offered so conveniently by those seeking power and influence.
As I have said in a number of past posts about prejudice and discrimination, America has a rich history of using immigrant labor to build our infrastructure, fight and die in our wars, and do all the jobs that the "native" population eschews, while at the same time crying that those same immigrants are criminals, lazy, dirty, and are poisoning the blood of our country.
Here are links to a few of those posts.
What seems so remarkable to me is that so many of the most outspoken people, and some of the most vitriolic comments about the LGBTQ+ community and the undocumented, emanate from those claiming to be Christians.
As I mentioned above, I was raised a Catholic. But more importantly, I spent a number of years deciding for myself which religion best suited me, rather than believing everything I was taught in school and at church, just because my parents were Catholic.
I read the bible, along with some of the other religious tomes. I followed a guru for a while, going to knowledge classes, attending programs, listening to tapes, practicing meditation. I found inspiration in the lessons of Jesus, especially the Sermon on the Mount, in the writings of Kahlil Gibran, and in the real life examples of my mother's life, particularly in her friendships and her focus on family.
While I am certainly far from a religious person, not having an association with any church for many decades, I do feel that my perception of the foundation of Christianity, the life and lessons of Christ, precludes the hatred that I see directed towards those considered on the margins of society by these alleged Christian groups.
Perhaps I am misguided, but considering that Jesus lived his life amidst the marginalized people of his time, I firmly believe he would be advocating for much better treatment of the undocumented and those with a different gender preference. Of course, there are people who follow that example, and it is no secret how they are treated by those who claim to be believers of Jesus Christ.
To put all my cards on the table, I do not believe that Jesus was the Son of God, that he died for our sins so that we could be saved, or that he rose from the dead, let alone that he was born of a virgin and conceived through the holy spirit. Yet, based on my understanding of his teachings, I wonder how those who claim to be Christians can exhibit such hatred and condemnation for others, in his name.
I distinctly remember writing a paper for religion class while in high school in which I speculated on whether a Christ figure was sent to every planet in the universe for the purpose of opening heaven to that planet's inhabitants, or whether Earth was unique. And if our planet was special in that way, why would God not save the inhabitants of all planets she created in the universe? And if we are that special, why are we so violent and inhumane in how we treat each other? One would think if we really felt we were that unique in the universe, we would celebrate our diversity, and our special place in God's plan.
At this point in my life, I fail to see how any Christian can act in such an unchristian way, if he/she really believes what they claim to believe. We celebrate the diversity of our pets, the wonder of travelling to other countries, of seeing the wonders of our planet, of trying new foods, listening to new music, experiencing the incredible range of life that was provided by our creator, and then dehumanize some of her creations, in her name.
Is it any wonder why more and more people are estranged from the religion of their upbringing when they see so much of America drowning in the very deadly sins that the Christian bible warns of, especially greed, wrath and pride?
I will next post An Atheist for Christ, which I wrote over ten years ago. I have just finished reading it, making some tweaks on format, correcting a few spelling errors. I shook my head a number of times during this process, as I realized that the points I made have not changed or improved, but in fact, have worsened.
I sometimes hear conservatives, seemingly with glee, point to polls that indicate that a large percentage of Americans are not happy with the direction of the country. They seem to assume that when someone with a similar perception as myself, indicates our displeasure with where we are going as a nation, that we blame liberals, or Biden, or "woke" policies.
This is another indication of their arrogance, their inability to realize that many Americans are distressed with the direction of our country because of the actions of those who wield their Christianity as a weapon to marginalize, even dehumanize, those who they claim god does not love.
I am unhappy with America because of judicial decisions based on 18th and 19th century mores, laws that restrict voting rights rather than expanding access to this precious right, and policies that treat people who are different, by birth, as enemies of our creator, as if any of us can understand such an unfathomable intelligence.
Oh, I almost forgot. Why on earth does this post reference a pair of pants made from lightweight cotton materials?
Chino, pronounced with the letter i sounding like a long e, is the trousers.
But for me, the letter "i" in chino is pronounced with a long i. Put more easily, my version of chino, my use of it as an acronym, rhymes with the acronym Rino, or republican in name only.
Do you get it? Chino, Christian in name only.
It is those people, Virginia, that are the reason why I am unhappy with America's direction, and why, sadly, I believe the worst is yet to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment