Saturday, January 02, 2010

Christmas & Religion

Well, Christmas has once again come and gone.

Just like most Australian families we put up Xmas lights and decorations, including a Xmas tree, and exchanged gifts. This celebration is pretty much universal and has little to do any more with religion.

However in keeping with my Protestant heritage, I also attended church, along with my son.

Ms B has historically resisted attending church except in the case of weddings and funerals.

She has a firm belief that there is no evidence that God exists, so she sees no point in performing strange rituals when there is no basis in them.

I have to say that if that is her belief, then its a fair point.

But like all human beings, she is just as selective with this rational as I am, I guess.

Ms B may not believe in God because of a lack of proof, but this does not stop her believing in Luck, or in Feng Shui, or in Numerology, or in any other number of cultish beliefs that seem to have widespread basis within the Chinese community.

I sometimes notice Ms B performing strange rituals at home to ward off Bad Luck, and she has even cost us a lot of money in re-positioning our front and back doors, in order to capture Good Luck in our home through good Feng Shui.

Now I too see no basis in these beliefs, but I tolerate them for Ms B's sake.

I guess this is what she too does for me with my religion.

What do you like/dislike most about Chinese women?