Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Be My Guest: Love from Not That Sarah Michelle

Happy Valentine's Day!

I thought today would be the perfect day to share a post by Sarah of Not That Sarah Michelle, in the latest of my Be My Guest series. Mainly because Sarah reminds me that there are all kinds of love. There's romance, of course, and the love of those we cherish in our lives, the people we celebrate on this day. 

But love has so much more depth than that. For instance there is a commitment to our core beliefs, the willingness to stand up and speak out that can only be described as a love of values. And there is the love of words. Sarah marries these two. 

My online friendship with her goes back years. We've read each others' posts, been involved in writing challenges together and supported each other on a personal level. We, like many bloggers, have talked about walking away from writing, felt that we've had enough, said all we wanted to say. She reached this point again just a few months ago, walking that line of "should I or shouldn't I?" The decision was to take a break.

I believe that Sarah has more to say. That, agree with her or not, she has a passion for her personal beliefs and the ability to express them. So I reached out. I offered a direction and extended a challenge. Not just to express her opinions in defense of human rights, but to back them up with facts. And in the process see if she regains her enthusiasm for writing. Because in my opinion, the world needs more public expression of this particular kind of compassion than it has in a long time.

Happy Valentine's Day, Sarah. Love having your big voice here in my little world. 


Be My Guest, a series of guest posts by multiple bloggers | Presented by www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics #blogging


From Sarah:

Religion is so multifaceted. There are different beliefs, different offshoots of those beliefs and offshoots from THOSE beliefs. Each one feels like they are correct and if you don't follow along with that, then you're wrong. It is rare that people take the time to really get to know what another religion is about and, if they try to do ANY research, it is usually nothing but negative that they find. So, which religion is right?

In a time where equality is a big fight and everyone wants equal rights, people often turn to their religion for a better understanding. Unfortunately, history has been so bastardized and reshaped to fit the conformity of the religious left that people don't realize that this country is a melting pot for all people; race, religion, gender, be damned. It can be confusing, especially to those who just want to live in our great country as the majority of Americans do. Why can't two consenting men who are madly in love marry? Why can't a Muslim be president? Why does religion have to dictate and decide everything, especially if we are supposed to be a country with a religion-free constitution?

It is a common misconception that we are a "Christian nation". If you look back through history you will see that this is a reoccurring argument for anything as small as "should our children be spanked" to things as big as "should people of the same sex marry". People look to religion to figure out what is right and what is wrong, all the while losing sight of what really matters . . . human rights.

 This country was founded by poeple looking to escape the oppression and persecution of the Church of England. They came here looking to worship, or not worship, freely. So why is it that now people want to TELL you how, who, or what to believe? Freedom of religion is a basic human right that everyone is entitled to. It is MY right to be a Christian. It is YOUR right to be a Muslim. It is HIS right to be Jewish. It is HER right to be an atheist. To tell someone that they HAVE to believe the way you do is to turn your back on the freedom people seek in this country and return to a way of life where we all have to fall in line.

The bottom line is that we are a country built by people who want to worship and live our lives freely. Although all religions have extremists, a fact people seem to forget quite a bit, my choice to live my religion is not hurting you. Singling out any one religion for vilification? Well, ask Hitler how that worked out for him.

And a final note from me: I'm pleased to announce that this is just the beginning. Sarah will be continuing this discussion in a monthly feature on her blog. I'm looking forward to reading about her point of view in more depth and in joining in the conversation with her. Hope you will too.

About the author: 
Sarah Michelle is a wife, working mother of 3 and college student living in Florida. She's a passionate advocate for equal rights and a never ending source of Instagram entertainment. Sarah shares her life and her thoughts on her blog Not That Sarah Michelle. You can follow her on Facebook, twitter and Google +.

Baking In A Tornado signature | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics





21 comments:

  1. Well said, Sarah!
    My demands? I demand that everyone be free to choose what we believe. Or don't believe. (And then tell me about it, because I really am interested!) :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have to totally agree with Diane. We need less judgement and more understanding.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Awesome words. I totally agree. You say things with power and make me feel justified in my own beliefs. THANKS.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We are all justified in our own beliefs, we're not justified on forcing others to live by them, though.

      Delete
    2. Under no circumstance should you ever feel unjustified in your beliefs. I'm sorry if you have ever felt that way!

      Delete
  4. More curiosity and less assumptions about other's religions is needed. Keep it up Sarah. Karen, I saw the red velvet cupcakes and drooled.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree. A lot of what we need is more truth about each other.
      And yes, those cupcakes were amazing!

      Delete
    2. I absolutely agree. If you want to know, ask! Research. Visit a service....don't just assume anything!

      Delete
  5. I loved this post. And I have an admission: I was so disappointed, at the time when President Obama was being accused of being a Muslim, that he didn't stand up and say "Well, I'm not, but what if I was? DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT? Since when does our country have a religious test?" On one level I understand, but, on another level, as a member of a different religious minority, I considered it as a teachable moment that passed, unchallenged. I was eight when President Kennedy ran for President, and had to face so much hate. It made a big impression on me. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree with you and thought the same thing. Although I feel that Obama is a good guy who means well, there were a few situations like this one where I thought he missed a chance to make a point.

      Delete
    2. I wish he would have done the same thing!

      Delete
  6. Now have to say I liked this and I will am going to check out her blog now

    ReplyDelete

Warning: Comment at your own risk. I have Comment Moderation, meaning I approve all comments before they show up here. So go ahead, I'm not scared!