My wife recently returned from a 100 mile

[Thats my opinion]

pilgrimage walk in Spain over a path that has been traversed by pilgrims for many centuries. She found a poem on the wall of church on the way that speaks of how such journeys bring us face to face with what is real in life. And that has to do with how we treat other people--something the Democratic Party has sought to enshrine in national policy. Here is the poem

The prayer below is to be found on the wall of the tiny Iglesia de San Andres in La Faba, a small village.

Although I may have travelled all the roads,
crossed mountains and valleys from East to West,
if I have not discovered the freedom to be myself,
I have arrived nowhere.

Although I may have shared all of my possessions
with people of other languages and cultures;
made friends with pilgrims of a thousand paths
or shared albergue with saints and princes,
if I am not capable of forgiving my neighbour tomorrow
I have arrived nowhere.

Although I may have carried my pack from beginning to end
and waited for every Pilgrim in need of encouragement,
or given my bed to one who arrived later than I,
given my bottle of water in exchange for nothing:
if upon returning to my home and work,
I am not able to create brotherhood
or to make happiness, peace and unity,
I have arrived nowhere.

Although I may have had food and water each day,
and enjoyed a roof and a shower every night:
or may have had my injuries well attended,
if I have not discovered in all that the love of God,
I have arrived nowhere.

Although I may have seen all the monuments
and contemplated the best sunsets;
although I may have learned a greeting in every language
or tried the clean water from every fountain;
if I have not discovered who is the author
of so much free beauty and so much peace,
I have arrived nowhere.

If from today I do not continue walking on your path,
searching for and living according to what I have learned;
if from today I do not see in every person, friend or foe
a companion on the Camino;
if from today I cannot recognize God,
the God of Jesus of Nazareth
as the one God of my life,
I have arrived nowhere.

[BanzaiBonnie]

1. I honor each and every person

in their own personal pilgrimage .

[darkstar3]

2. As usual, a lauding of the faithful path turns into a knocking of the infidel.

I can safely say, as someone who does not walk the path, I have arrived at several places that are not nowhere.

[David Sky]

3. So much of religion and religious lore has to do with knocking those who

don't think the same way, don't honor the same religious beliefs. Rather arrogant, in my opinion, for any religion to be supporting such intolerance.

[WolverineDG]

7. I walked the Camino with an atheist

He was very open & respectful of others' beliefs, interesting to talk to & fun to walk with. I'm glad I met him before I started coming to this forum.

dg

[darkstar3]

9. Your backhand needs work.

And my point stands. It is possible to laud the religious experience in many ways without stating flatly that life is empty without it, contrary to what the Psalms may show you.

[WolverineDG]

13. If you actually knew something about the Camino & those who walk it

instead of doing the usual jumping to a conclusion in order to be the first one to bash religion, you would know that anyone is welcome to walk the Camino, no matter what they believe or don't.

No one is made to feel out of place (except in some churches along the way, but most pilgrims don't bother with Mass unless they're in Roncesvalles or Santiago--my atheist friend included) either, especially if they write a poem or a song & want to share it. Anyone is welcome to stay at any of the albergues along the Camino as well. No one asks what you believe (or don't), just why you're walking.

The experience of walking the Camino is a highly personal one, no matter what your motivation is--religious reasons, wanting a cheap vacation, wanting to get more exercise--and taking a dump on someone's observations, as you have, is very poor form.

dg

[darkstar3]

14. It's a poem. I read it, and I posted what I had to say about it. I haven't bashed anyone's religion.

And I notice that instead of answering my simple point, that the poem itself is in poor form, you'd rather attack me for saying so.

Now ask me if I give a fuck. Then tell me if you also have a "black friend."

[Thats my opinion]

15. There are some posters on r/t whose diatribes never even appear on my screen.

we can assume that you are referring to one of those posters, for me simply labelled "ignored."

There are too many good, solid, important concerns in the world to bother any more with anti-religious vitriol.

[darkstar3]

16. How childish of you to spend a post saying "I can't hear you, nana nana na na."

[WolverineDG]

17. It's so funny; I've posted about the Camino before in ASAH

not exactly friendly territory, but received nothing but positive responses about it. Here? :rofl: You can't post anything positive about any religion without someone racing to dump on it.

dg

[darkstar3]

18. "Dump on it"?

Please explain how my critique of this poem's negative portrayal of the infidel is dumping on the Camino. Be specific, and be sure to address the content of my posts and not the character you've built for me in your mind.

[rrneck]

4. That attitude will get you nowhere.

No matter how hard you try, government and religion don't mix.

[villager]

5. FYI, Emilio Estevez has a new film coming out that's set along that pilgrimage

He loses his father on "the walk" (played by Martin Sheen), then goes on the same pilgrimage himself afterwards...

[WolverineDG]

8. sorta

:)

I've been following the movie for a couple of years now (was on the Camino at the time they were filming) & saw a special screening of it in Austin last month.

Emilio's character is the one who dies & Martin's character is the one to complete the pilgrimage.

It's a good movie, with the plot carried forward by the characters & not special effects/CGI.

dg

[hlthe2b]

10. Switch that... The father goes on the walk with remains of the son.

There's a good interview with both posted today...

Sheen Family's Epic Journey
Oct 6, 2011 11:01 PM EDT
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/10/06/the-way-martin-sheen-emilio-estevez-on-charlie-sheen-occupy-wall-street.html
The Way, directed by Emilio Estevez and starring his dad, Martin Sheen, explores the family's Spanish roots. The two talk to Marlow Stern about Charlie Sheen, the religious right, and how President Josiah Bartlet would fix the U.S.

--snip--

Written, produced, and directed by Estevez, The Way follows the journey of Tom Avery (Martin Sheen), an insulated eye doctor whose adventurous son, played by Estevez, dies while hiking El Camino de Santiago—a Christian pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. To honor his son’s memory, Tom embarks on his own adventure across the Camino, scattering his son’s ashes along the way, and in the process, discovers vast truths about himself, and his son.

[villager]

12. well shoot -- I guess you're right; glanced at the press release when it came in and transposed

...the generational geography! Thanks for setting it arights! ;-)

[WolverineDG]

6. I've walked the Camino too

Did you know that Martin Sheen's movie about the Camino, "The Way," opened in limited release today? It will open wide later this month. :) I recommend it!


dg

[hlthe2b]

11. the El Camino de Santiago?

El Camino de Santiago—a Christian pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain.

This is the subject of Martin Sheen and son Emilio Estevez' new movie