Your Religion and Hospitality

[Wrath of Ezekiel]

Illiezeulette

Tea, I'm confused about what you mean by "purity issues." Could you please explain?

Maybe this isn't a good example, but maybe something like wearing shoes inside the house? We don't and I think that's something that's shared by cultures from the Asian continent, because some times when I'm in my Caucasian friends' houses, they say it's fine to keep the shoes on.

Friends, well, I've never really been allowed to have friends at home a lot, just occasionally (my father thinks everyone will come and steal stuff rolleyes ), but it's usually offer of food and drink and then whatever we do.

Family, well we offer them food and drink, though sometimes, I do think we're a bit aggressive in the approach. Personally, I believe that if a guest refuses food or drink that you should leave them be and not continue to pester them a few times because then it makes them feel guilty.  

[TeaDidikai]

Illiezeulette

Tea, I'm confused about what you mean by "purity issues." Could you please explain?

It's akin to the Jewish Kosher Laws, the rules that govern the Kemetic Orthodoxy, etc.

Coming into contact with unclean things makes a person unclean. Within my family's tradition, you're supposed to avoid coming into contact with unclean things. Since this is almost impossible, the next best thing is cleansing that which has become impure.

Most things taint a person for a period of time or until a remedy can be worked out. Some things taint a person for life and cause their own families to shun them even after death.

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Family, well we offer them food and drink, though sometimes, I do think we're a bit aggressive in the approach. Personally, I believe that if a guest refuses food or drink that you should leave them be and not continue to pester them a few times because then it makes them feel guilty.

I'm pretty much like that. Even if all you take is a nibble, it's still something you want to accept. For example, I had a whole plate full of kabobs and firebread. Some people only took a little crumb of bread and a single piece of meat. Others came back for fifths.

Granted, allergies, distaste or spiritual prohibitions are valid reasons to refuse even that small nibble.  

[-X-Luciferin-X-Bandit-X-]

My not-being-a-shitty-person effects my Hospitality. It has nothing to do with my religion.

One shouldn't need a religion to tell them not to be shitty to your guests, no matter who they are.  

[Collowrath]

XxBangbang.im.a.banditxX

My not-being-a-shitty-person effects my Hospitality. It has nothing to do with my religion.

One shouldn't need a religion to tell them not to be shitty to your guests, no matter who they are.

That's not necessarily the point - sometimes your religion might add something to augment your hospitality. For instance, people that belong to religions that have a concept of bodily purity might have a distinct problem with their person or possessions being touched willy nilly, whereas some people consider a hug to be a friendly gesture.

Also, some of our religions are inherently tied to our cultures and thus might contain certain rituals that are to be completed a certain way in order to fulfill what our culture would consider hospitable. For instance, it wouldn't be hospitable for me to accept a drink on the first offer - I might come off as greedy or impatient. Likewise, I'm obligated to offer food or drink at least twice before I accept a refusal. I find that this tradition is reinforced in my religion - I'm reminded to be humble and thankful for what is put in front of me, and the expense that other people went to in order to provide it, and I'm reminded to take care of my own and to not hoard things unnecessarily.

Also, why shouldn't it matter who the person is? Why should I be hospitable toward someone who has demonstrated they want to harm me in some way?  

[TeaDidikai]

XxBangbang.im.a.banditxX

My not-being-a-shitty-person effects my Hospitality. It has nothing to do with my religion.

My idea of not being a shitty person begins and ends with me leaving others the ******** alone until they come into my personal bubble.

That doesn't have a whole lot to do with the actual definition of Hospitality. Nor does it comment on formal religious etiquette that extends beyond leaving people alone.

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One shouldn't need a religion to tell them not to be shitty to your guests,

This is highly arrogant of you to suggest. Why do you think our religions are simply about "don't be shitty" instead of "Do XYZ to go above and beyond not being shitty".

Further- what makes you think it's our personal moral framework, and not standards that others who are part of our lives, say for example, our gods, who hold expectations of us above and beyond "Don't be shitty".

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no matter who they are.

I am afraid that if my rapist comes into my home through some unfathomable twist of fate, as a guest, he is in no way shape or form going to be treated the same as Cu.

To suggest otherwise would be completely ignorant of human nature.

Collowrath

For instance, people that belong to religions that have a concept of bodily purity might have a distinct problem with their person or possessions being touched willy nilly, whereas some people consider a hug to be a friendly gesture.

Part of it is what boils down to expectations.

Leaving a toilet seat up in my house doesn't strike the bulk of the guests in my home as "being a shitty person". Within my tradition, it's a purity transgression. You have opened up our home to contaminating forces and possibly harmed our familial luck through your thoughtlessness.

I expect my guests to be mindful of the household rules. They should expect me to tell them what they are.  

[Deoridhe]

XxBangbang.im.a.banditxX

My not-being-a-shitty-person effects my Hospitality.

What about your not-being-a-shitty-person when a guest?  

[TeaDidikai]

Deoridhe

XxBangbang.im.a.banditxX

My not-being-a-shitty-person effects my Hospitality.

What about your not-being-a-shitty-person when a guest?

I'm trying to figure out how "not being a shitty person" is actually a style of hospitality, and not simply a moral framework that can be applied within hospitality.  

[aoijea23487]

i just finished reading a trilogy of not-particularly-great fantasy novels. there were a lot of the Roma people in there [portrayed rather stereotypically imo]. i read over a part where they dumped out all the water after their camp had been infiltrated and ransacked by some racist English carpenters. there were a few references to things being unclean, like refusing to eat cheese offered to them. also putting bread in pockets. accuracy?

i find these sort of codes and customs absolutely interesting.  

[TeaDidikai]

Illiezeulette

i read over a part where they dumped out all the water after their camp had been infiltrated and ransacked by some racist English carpenters.

Accurate. There's a chance the non-Rroma could have contaminated the supply and the wash water.

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there were a few references to things being unclean, like refusing to eat cheese offered to them.

I'd need more information to guess at why they would. Was it offered by non-Rroma?

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also putting bread in pockets. accuracy?

This is a little out of the blue... and it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. My family would see putting unwrapped food in pockets as something unclean.

You have to keep in mind that Rroma are a diverse people, in much the same way Native Americans are. One tribe is not identical to the next tribe over, and I'm not in any position to speak for anyone but my own family.

You're welcome to post questions in my Pathways thread. Might also want to read through it.  

[Maze]

I'm not sure my hospitality is tied to my (lack of) religion.

If you're in my house, and you're my friend, you're offered drink, and if you're here at the right time and have a reason to be invited to the dinner table, food, too. Cookies or stuff gets offered inbetween, so not sure that counts.

If you're in my house, and I know you well and you are bordering on family but do not live in my house, you can damn well get your own drink, but here, I think we got new cookies here.. Oh, and crisps. Want some?

If you're in my house, and you are here for business, you get offered coffee or tea and cookies, depending on the length of your visit.

If you're in my house, stealing my things, I'm gonna have to wait till you're outside before I hit you. Don't wanna risk breaking anything inside the house.

If I'm in your house, I will likely need a moment to figure out your rules, but barring any that say things like 'murder the person you came in with', will probably accept them and hold to them best as I remember.

Not very religious, I don't think. Just how I was brought up.  

[Recursive Paradox]

I'm still working on the hospitality stuff for Etherism. Very much work in progress at the moment. sweatdrop  

[TeaDidikai]

Maze

If you're in my house, stealing my things, I'm gonna have to wait till you're outside before I hit you. Don't wanna risk breaking anything inside the house.

This brings up an interesting point between the Law and Hospitality.

See, if someone is committing a crime in your home in the bulk of the US, if you wait for them to leave, then attack them, you're committing a crime. If you attack them while in your home, while they are stealing s**t, then you're engaging in self defense.

Which would you favor, if you were living in the US?  

[Calixti]

TeaDidikai

Maze

If you're in my house, stealing my things, I'm gonna have to wait till you're outside before I hit you. Don't wanna risk breaking anything inside the house.

This brings up an interesting point between the Law and Hospitality.

See, if someone is committing a crime in your home in the bulk of the US, if you wait for them to leave, then attack them, you're committing a crime. If you attack them while in your home, while they are stealing s**t, then you're engaging in self defense.

Which would you favor, if you were living in the US?

I take option three--take down a detailed description (mental or physical) and a list of the stolen items, then call the police. But that's more because I'm small, weak, not very good at self-defense, and typically unarmed with anything more than pepper spray. sweatdrop  

[TeaDidikai]

Calixti

I take option three--take down a detailed description (mental or physical) and a list of the stolen items, then call the police. But that's more because I'm small, weak, not very good at self-defense, and typically unarmed with anything more than pepper spray. sweatdrop

Oh sure... if you want to be reasonable about it. talk2hand