Praise Others Project (December 25th) - Merry Christmas

Today is Christmas. While not everyone celebrates the birth of Jesus, I wanted to depart from praising authors and bloggers today and instead I would like to praise The Higher Power....the great Author of everything....the big Blogger in the sky.

Regardless of your religious beliefs, today I wanted use "The Praise Others Project" to highlight whatever it is that is bigger than the individual. That force that is grander than man. Some would call this God, others might not. In any case, today is a great time to praise and respect all religious beliefs, which includes those who do not believe in religion.

What I have never understood was why people from different faiths learn to hate each other for their differences, rather than respect one another for the similarities. It appears to be human nature to grasp a hold of beliefs and arrogantly decide that others are wrong. This causes wars and makes people wildly work to do things like ban any type of religious symbols from public places. They get offended by it rather than discovering that it is really just about joy.

I once heard a comedian say say that he was an atheist...but that he was always very respectful of all persons of faith. He had friends from every religion on the planet because if he was wrong in his opinions, he wanted people on the other side who could be character witnesses at the door to heaven. I like that.

I am Catholic. My closest friend is Jewish. For over two decades we have always respected the traditions of each other's families. It is easy to do. I was raised to cherish my beliefs, but to understand that not everyone in the world shares these beliefs. As long as someone is not out to harm my faith, I want to celebrate theirs.

So on this special day for Christians, I wish you peace, joy and tranquility in your life.....regardless of your faith. Take time today to "praise others"....regardless of their religion.

Merry Christmas.

thom