What is Sacred to You? Anything?

[Trent Wray]

I suppose this could turn quickly into a boring or pointless thread, but I was wondering (being inspired from another thread) what the overall view on the idea of something being "sacred" is here on the forum? I personally don't believe that "sacred" applies solely to religion/spiritual concepts, although I think it is subjective and largely an "eye of the beholder" type of thing obviously.

So what is your personal definition of "sacred" (apart from a copy and paste dictionary def.). In your own words :)

When thinking about my own definition, I and some others thought of these questions:

1) What is your personal definition of sacred?
2) Is there something that exists in your personal reality that you find to be sacred?
3) Do you think the "object of sacredness" should be defended, hidden, revealed, kept a secret, hinted at, etc?
4) Can something lose it's sacredness?
5) Should the sacred be debunked or respected, honored or ridiculed?
6) What is the importance of sacredness in the hierarchy of one's personal life? IOW, is it the underlying drive and focus of everything a person does? Should it be?
7) Should it be shared? Does that increase or decrease it's "sacredness"?
8) Will you say exactly what is sacred to you (or the focus of the sacredness, i.e. a spouse, love itself, an heirloom, your dreams, etc)

Any responses are appreciated! :)

[quarky]

Sacred is that which one shouldn't expose or describe on an internet forum.


(for starters)


Did Disney put you up to this?

[Trent Wray]

Sacred is that which one shouldn't expose or describe on an internet forum.


(for starters)


Did Disney put you up to this? I'm not sure it's possible for me to do something apart from the influence of Disney.

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t46/SinboyRT69/mickey_mouse_by_god_raped_mary.jpg

But in all seriousness, why do you feel it shouldn't be described or "exposed" on an internet forum? May I ask LOL (apparently I shouldn't, but I did LOL)?

[Minarvia]

I'll give this a go. I guess for one, I hold my 2 dearest loved ones sacred. They are precious to me, have earned my trust and unconditional love, and I, theirs. I would never betray or hurt them in any way. I will care for and do all in my power for them to keep them from harm. I would even die for them.

I do have a couple of heirlooms I deem sacred. I have my maternal grandmother's 180 year old polish cross. I don't care about it monetary value. She died when I was fairly young but she is the only grandma I knew at all and I remember her loving me and caring for me more than my own parents. It is all I have of her and I'm lucky I got that from her (who got it from HER grandma in the Old Country) by being the first daughter of her own daughter.

I do have another. I have an 1890 gold piece ring from my father's mother. I never knew her, but after she died her sister's raided the house and took everything of value (against her Will) and only left that because they knew my dad would raise holy hell if they took that - a gift from him. He gave it to me before he died so I hold it as sacred.

I also have 3 dogs (puppies, to me) that I hold as sacred responsibilities. I will NEVER hurt, starve, abuse, or abandon them for their entire lives. I hold my responsibility to them as sacred. They will always have the best of care.

I hope this isn't cheesy, but to me these things aren't.

To me sacred means something of such precious value that it should be revered and cared for and is deserving of the best you have to offer. Your level best.

[MattusMaximus]

The closest thing I hold to being "sacred" is my wife.

She is a goddess :)

[fromdownunder]

My two daughters, my son, and then their partners . My 89 year old mother (my father died many years ago, otherwise he would be on the list).

That's about it. And I suspect that the "sacred" bit is hard wired into me. Which does not make it less real.

Norm

[Hokulele]

I don't know. Whenever I hear the term "sacred", I automatically associate it with the idea of a sacred cow.

One that is immune from criticism, often unreasonably so.


As such, I try not to hold anything sacred in the sense that it cannot be questioned or critiqued. In terms of family and such, I prefer to use the word "cherished" rather than "sacred". :)

[Minarvia]

I don't know. Whenever I hear the term "sacred", I automatically associate it with the idea of a sacred cow.




As such, I try not to hold anything sacred in the sense that it cannot be questioned or critiqued. In terms of family and such, I prefer to use the word "cherished" rather than "sacred". :)

Me, too, but "sacred" will do. :)

[Hokulele]

Me, too, but "sacred" will do. :)


Oh, I completely understand, I am just apparently the only one (judging by the poll) who hasn't made up my mind yet. :)

[gerdbonk]

I don't know. Whenever I hear the term "sacred", I automatically associate it with the idea of a sacred cow.




As such, I try not to hold anything sacred in the sense that it cannot be questioned or critiqued. In terms of family and such, I prefer to use the word "cherished" rather than "sacred". :)

Agree. Sacred is used for ideas and the symbols/objects that are considered to embody those ideas. You would not hold a person sacred unless that person represented a concept you considered unassailable. For instance, the office of the Pope and what it represents might be held sacred. The Pope is therefore elevated and protected as a sacred living symbol despite the man himself possibly being a right bastard.

[Miss_Kitt]

Something sacred is something that should be defended, valued, held in the deepest respect, treated as important even if one is habitually given to laughing at almost anything. I have a few things that I hold sacred in my own life:

** My daughters. I may gently tease them, but I do not ever belittle them, (intentionally) harm them, ignore them or let others harm them. Hell hath no fury like a mother defending her young! I believe I could actually kill another person in cold blood if I knew with absolute certainty that they had seriously harmed (eg, beaten, raped, robbed) one of my girls. The hardest thing I have to do as a parent is to let them get hurt in small ways so that they learn important lessons; because I know that that is how we all learn. But watching those first skinned knees, broken hearts, and bad money choices is very hard.

** My honor. I rarely 'swear' to do, or not do, something; but if I should give my pledged word, it is sacred to me. There are also choices I make because it is "the right thing" and I don't care if nobody would ever know. I don't pocket other people's money, or fail to pay into the honor system snack jar, or park in the parking lot without paying. Because I have made a commitment to the truth--to what is real--and part of that commitment to reality is not lying or stealing.

** The trust of the helpless that I am responsible for. I care for my pets, my parents when they need it, birds that hit my living room window and are stunned; I have picked up and comforted unattended children who get hurt on the playground; and if you have a seizure or a car accident that leaves you unconscious or badly injured near me, I will get you the help you need and stay with you doing what I can until someone more capable arrives (or you are beyond help). I find this hard to articulate, but in some way I think the measure of a person is how they act finding someone / something in a circumstance that they would be terrified to be in. I cannot live with knowing that I let someone (or something that has some reasonable level of awareness) suffer when I had the ability to intervene at some small cost of time and effort on my part; and the greater the sentience of that victim, the greater my cost or risk that must be borne becomes.

** Respect for Truth. I don't want a pretty lie; I don't want to have a doctor 'make it easier' on me; I don't want to be told that Aunt Edna is on the Other Side and is happy there. I want what is real; and so I feel an obligation to be real in my dealings with others. I recognize that there is a difference between a commitment to the truth and telling one's hostess, "My, that's an unflattering dress you've chosen to wear." But if I find myself in a situation where my silence is reasonably construed as endorsement of something wrong, I have to speak out. (For instance, when a coworker used the term 'towelhead' about a delivery driver, I told him how bigotted and petty that made him sound; that if he felt that way, I had little respect for his intelligence; and finally, that if he was ignorant enough to actually think such an attitude was acceptable to hold, he should at least have the brains to realize that such opinions had no business being spoken in A) the workplace, or B) my presence. He was stunned; then he apologized. And over the next week, a number of other people who had been in the room told me privately that they were glad someone had finally told him off.) I don't want to be rude, but sometimes you have to choose between integrity and courtesy.
If I love someone, there may come a point where I feel an obligation to say, Look, you're lying to yourself about X. You do have a drinking problem; or, you are letting your partner abuse your trust and your self-esteem, even if you haven't been physically hit yet; etc. I am not the friend you come to when you want to be told what you want to hear--unless what you want to hear is the truth. I think honesty is integral to friendship.
This applies as much to talking to myself as to others. I hate denial: It is the road to slow suicide. If I suspect I am looking away from something I don't want to see in my life, I do some careful self-examination. If I'm still unsure, I want to go to the person most likely to tell me truth about it and ask them to help me find out. This ranges from seeing a doctor if I have a scary symptom to seeing my shrink if I find myself avoiding thinking about or talking about certain subjects.

** Beauty, whether it is visual arts, music, or natural events (sunsets, flowers, birdcalls). I find people who wantonly destroy beauty to be detestable and even a bit frightening. What is it that drives some people to slash paintings or take a hammer to one of Michelangelo's statues? What makes people see a colorful bird or a magnificent elk and shoot it because it is beautiful? I understand hunting to eat, even if that eating is preferential instead of subsistence (so long as such hunting does not threaten the robustness of that creature's population); but trophy hunting is anathema to me. The worldview that melts down wonderful jewelry and smashed carvings to re-use their raw materials is both alien and scary. There is little enough that is beautiful in life; why would anyone want to destroy what is so valuable and rare? Beauty is one of the things that reminds us that life is good, that concretely shows us an example of how wonderful and amazing this Universe is. If I can make something beautiful, I will--the closest I can come is an occasional fine phrase--but since making it is usually outside my power, at the least I can protect and value what beauty I find.

** Thought. Quite simply, the basic aspect of being human is our capacity to think, and while I may consider some ideas silly or misguided, I value that someone at least took the effort to think. I value things that make me think--thanks to the OP for this thread--as I feel more myself and more alive when I am thinking hard than at any other time. (Okay, and maybe when my beloved husband and I make love, but that's not for discussion here.) And I consider the deliberate destruction of the capacity to think-- whether by substituting authority for thought, or by excessive use of drugs or alcohol, or by punishing children for showing cleverness, or by destroying or denying access to knowledge--to be one of the greatest evils humans can commit. It is often self-inflicted, but sometimes it is imposed by means of force or fraud onto others, and I think that that is abhorrent and should be opposed. Sometimes opposition takes the form of telling someone in a cult-like church that you think they have the right to decide when they attend services; sometimes it takes the form of supporting translation or transmissions of factual information into places where the rulers enforce ignorance; sometimes it takes the form of answering questions from a kid whose parents are feeding them lies and silence. But I won't help an alcoholic pretend they don't have a problem, and I won't help a dictator pretend he's popularly elected every five years for a half-century.


I've gone on too long, but this is a subject that I think doesn't get talked about (or, probably, thought about) enough. The things we hold sacred are the fuel for the hard work of living; they are guideposts and first principles that help us make decisions that we will be glad we made, both now and years later looking back. I think that humans have an inherent need for the sacred; the only question is, do you select what you hold sacred, or do you let a church, a family tradition, or cultural mores select it for you?

Just my thoughts, MK

[Minarvia]

1) What is your personal definition of sacred?
2) Is there something that exists in your personal reality that you find to be sacred?
3) Do you think the "object of sacredness" should be defended, hidden, revealed, kept a secret, hinted at, etc?
4) Can something lose it's sacredness?
5) Should the sacred be debunked or respected, honored or ridiculed?
6) What is the importance of sacredness in the hierarchy of one's personal life? IOW, is it the underlying drive and focus of everything a person does? Should it be?
7) Should it be shared? Does that increase or decrease it's "sacredness"?
8) Will you say exactly what is sacred to you (or the focus of the sacredness, i.e. a spouse, love itself, an heirloom, your dreams, etc)

Any responses are appreciated! :)

Well, as a completely personal thing to me I've already answered 1 and 2. I'm not going to quibble about any actual definition of sacred because I think I know what you mean and if I don't you know what I mean.

To me the things I hold sacred probably won't lose their sacredness. I suppose the people COULD...but these...not likely at all. Nor a duty or moral code that I hold to, such as doing my best to be kind, civil, help out how and where and when I can, and such codes of conduct as that.

Things held sacred by others I think CAN and SHOULD be ridiculed, or rather, eliminated, imo. I am specific in meaning people who suicide bomb others simply because they don't "think" or "believe" as they do. Or executing or for life imprisoning the worst of the worst such as murderers and horrible people I won't get into describing here. People who hold their own selfish desires above all else, even if it's just living their own code of conduct, I think should be ridiculed or discouraged when it willfully and carelessly hurts others. The "me first" idea I think is rather...evil.

For me, I don't have much of a life in the sense of living "in the fast lane," so it is my first priority. I am a housewife so career or inventing, or setting world records are not "sacred" goals for me.

For my life, I don't really understand your question #7.

[Legend]

I suppose the traditional definition of sacred sort of flies out of the window when you're an atheist. The whole religious aspect to it, at least.

Precious, however, is another kettle of fish.

You can throw the definites into the mix, because they're obvious: family, liberty, maybe. Perhaps you can fill in the spaces with others. While I don't degrade the preciousness of family, which I hold in the highest regard, there is also much more that is precious to me, that I cherish, and that is often not mentioned in discussions like these.

This paragraph you would've heard many times before, but I care to make this point, so I will. I, like all of you guys, lead a life of luxury. Not Bill Gates luxury, or Country Club luxury, but an excessive life, one in which I walk 20 metres to get a refrigerated drink, and sleep beneath a fan on a comfortable, pillowed bed; next to my lamp and my laptop and my desk and my books. But in my admitted inexperience, I am still working out whether or not they are precious.

Precious, to me, does mean family, the people that make up my family, who I can teach and who have taught me, immediate and extended. More selfishly, precious means my mind. The ability I have to stand here and type at 70 wpm, tiny little shaped figures that each have attached to them phonemes. Phonemes that change when placed aside different shaped figures. When enough different shaped figures are placed together you get a word; 99% of the time they are ones you immediately recognise and consequently have the ability to understand it through the previously assigned, specific, unique meaning to. The average human mind can have tens of thousands of these words memorised, somewhere, inside this thing in between our ears.

On the 24th of March, 2010, I wrote down the date, I was sitting in my grandparent's house. They fascinate me. I love to talk about their experiences, and their life; it's a privilege.

I asked my Dida (grandad, if you will), if they had traditional Croatian songs in "the old country". They did. He "knows all of 'dem!"

He sings them, too, with a nice little vibrato and everything. One of the songs Dida sung, Nanny watched silently until he had finished. I think it was the one about the girl waiting who waited 3 years to see her boyfriend, on the top of a hill, but it would be another 3 years before she saw him. In the silence after he finished, she said wistfully:

“The last time I heard that was at the...” my memory betrays me. It was when she was a child, though. She’d eat with her friends somewhere, every week I think; they'd have sung that song nonchalantly, and that tiny, insignificant moment in history, that she somehow remembers, was the last time she heard that song. She would not have even known Dida at that age. He was born in and lived in Croatia - as a self-admitted "cheeky boy" who'd escape out of the window and down a tree rather than get his punishment from a teacher who he calls "the fat b****".

Decades and decades later and she is sitting across from her husband of a majority of those decades, and her rapt grandson of almost two decades, listening to it again.

Memories like these I hope no illness, or amount of time, will ever take away from me.

These words, which I can speak, write and understand, are the human race's best communal medium to share knowledge, and using a long method in which knowledge is centre-stage, I have my refrigerated drink. I wouldn't be able to tease, affectionately, my Nonna's accent, which I can recognise and distinguish, or answer my younger brother's endless questions, or learn anything from anyone else about skepticism.

These things I put in place of anything sacred, because who really needs anything sacred.

Alex.

[Minarvia]

And I had to be sandwiched in between THOSE posts. :o

[SusanB-M1]

For me, the word 'sacred' has too many religious overtones, so I do not use it or think of anything in terms of it. I couldn't decide which option to choose, so did not vote.

[six7s]

1) What is your personal definition of sacred?In the context of this thread, on this forum: Woo

2) Is there something that exists in your personal reality that you find to be sacred?Hell no... ;) Of course not; woo != reality

[arthwollipot]

I would not use the word "sacred". I'm not sure that there is an appropriate alternative though.

[JJM 777]

If "sacred" = "what makes you disproportionately angry if violated", gross contempt of human rights are such. For example:
- when a Muslim country gives an exorbitant corporal punishment for a minor offense (not offense at all in the opinion of most people)
- when Catholic church protects pedophiles and hides their crimes for decades
- and so on...

[Legend]

Something sacred is something that should be defended, valued, held in the deepest respect, treated as important even if one is habitually given to laughing at almost anything. I have a few things that I hold sacred in my own life:

** My daughters. I may gently tease them, but I do not ever belittle them, (intentionally) harm them, ignore them or let others harm them. Hell hath no fury like a mother defending her young! I believe I could actually kill another person in cold blood if I knew with absolute certainty that they had seriously harmed (eg, beaten, raped, robbed) one of my girls. The hardest thing I have to do as a parent is to let them get hurt in small ways so that they learn important lessons; because I know that that is how we all learn. But watching those first skinned knees, broken hearts, and bad money choices is very hard.

** My honor. I rarely 'swear' to do, or not do, something; but if I should give my pledged word, it is sacred to me. There are also choices I make because it is "the right thing" and I don't care if nobody would ever know. I don't pocket other people's money, or fail to pay into the honor system snack jar, or park in the parking lot without paying. Because I have made a commitment to the truth--to what is real--and part of that commitment to reality is not lying or stealing.

** The trust of the helpless that I am responsible for. I care for my pets, my parents when they need it, birds that hit my living room window and are stunned; I have picked up and comforted unattended children who get hurt on the playground; and if you have a seizure or a car accident that leaves you unconscious or badly injured near me, I will get you the help you need and stay with you doing what I can until someone more capable arrives (or you are beyond help). I find this hard to articulate, but in some way I think the measure of a person is how they act finding someone / something in a circumstance that they would be terrified to be in. I cannot live with knowing that I let someone (or something that has some reasonable level of awareness) suffer when I had the ability to intervene at some small cost of time and effort on my part; and the greater the sentience of that victim, the greater my cost or risk that must be borne becomes.

** Respect for Truth. I don't want a pretty lie; I don't want to have a doctor 'make it easier' on me; I don't want to be told that Aunt Edna is on the Other Side and is happy there. I want what is real; and so I feel an obligation to be real in my dealings with others. I recognize that there is a difference between a commitment to the truth and telling one's hostess, "My, that's an unflattering dress you've chosen to wear." But if I find myself in a situation where my silence is reasonably construed as endorsement of something wrong, I have to speak out. (For instance, when a coworker used the term 'towelhead' about a delivery driver, I told him how bigotted and petty that made him sound; that if he felt that way, I had little respect for his intelligence; and finally, that if he was ignorant enough to actually think such an attitude was acceptable to hold, he should at least have the brains to realize that such opinions had no business being spoken in A) the workplace, or B) my presence. He was stunned; then he apologized. And over the next week, a number of other people who had been in the room told me privately that they were glad someone had finally told him off.) I don't want to be rude, but sometimes you have to choose between integrity and courtesy.
If I love someone, there may come a point where I feel an obligation to say, Look, you're lying to yourself about X. You do have a drinking problem; or, you are letting your partner abuse your trust and your self-esteem, even if you haven't been physically hit yet; etc. I am not the friend you come to when you want to be told what you want to hear--unless what you want to hear is the truth. I think honesty is integral to friendship.
This applies as much to talking to myself as to others. I hate denial: It is the road to slow suicide. If I suspect I am looking away from something I don't want to see in my life, I do some careful self-examination. If I'm still unsure, I want to go to the person most likely to tell me truth about it and ask them to help me find out. This ranges from seeing a doctor if I have a scary symptom to seeing my shrink if I find myself avoiding thinking about or talking about certain subjects.

** Beauty, whether it is visual arts, music, or natural events (sunsets, flowers, birdcalls). I find people who wantonly destroy beauty to be detestable and even a bit frightening. What is it that drives some people to slash paintings or take a hammer to one of Michelangelo's statues? What makes people see a colorful bird or a magnificent elk and shoot it because it is beautiful? I understand hunting to eat, even if that eating is preferential instead of subsistence (so long as such hunting does not threaten the robustness of that creature's population); but trophy hunting is anathema to me. The worldview that melts down wonderful jewelry and smashed carvings to re-use their raw materials is both alien and scary. There is little enough that is beautiful in life; why would anyone want to destroy what is so valuable and rare? Beauty is one of the things that reminds us that life is good, that concretely shows us an example of how wonderful and amazing this Universe is. If I can make something beautiful, I will--the closest I can come is an occasional fine phrase--but since making it is usually outside my power, at the least I can protect and value what beauty I find.

** Thought. Quite simply, the basic aspect of being human is our capacity to think, and while I may consider some ideas silly or misguided, I value that someone at least took the effort to think. I value things that make me think--thanks to the OP for this thread--as I feel more myself and more alive when I am thinking hard than at any other time. (Okay, and maybe when my beloved husband and I make love, but that's not for discussion here.) And I consider the deliberate destruction of the capacity to think-- whether by substituting authority for thought, or by excessive use of drugs or alcohol, or by punishing children for showing cleverness, or by destroying or denying access to knowledge--to be one of the greatest evils humans can commit. It is often self-inflicted, but sometimes it is imposed by means of force or fraud onto others, and I think that that is abhorrent and should be opposed. Sometimes opposition takes the form of telling someone in a cult-like church that you think they have the right to decide when they attend services; sometimes it takes the form of supporting translation or transmissions of factual information into places where the rulers enforce ignorance; sometimes it takes the form of answering questions from a kid whose parents are feeding them lies and silence. But I won't help an alcoholic pretend they don't have a problem, and I won't help a dictator pretend he's popularly elected every five years for a half-century.


I've gone on too long, but this is a subject that I think doesn't get talked about (or, probably, thought about) enough. The things we hold sacred are the fuel for the hard work of living; they are guideposts and first principles that help us make decisions that we will be glad we made, both now and years later looking back. I think that humans have an inherent need for the sacred; the only question is, do you select what you hold sacred, or do you let a church, a family tradition, or cultural mores select it for you?

Just my thoughts, MK

Nominated - love your posts but you already know that.

Alex.

[quarky]

I'm not sure it's possible for me to do something apart from the influence of Disney.

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t46/SinboyRT69/mickey_mouse_by_god_raped_mary.jpg

But in all seriousness, why do you feel it shouldn't be described or "exposed" on an internet forum? May I ask LOL (apparently I shouldn't, but I did LOL)?

Because I don't want to 'jinx' the sacred.

[Manopolus]

I associate the word sacred specifically to religion, and to the notion that you are not allowed to question that which is held sacred. The other definitions are essentially only used to make an association with feelings related to religion.

For things which are considered important or loved, there are many better words to use which mean the same thing as that use of the word, and have a more specific and descriptive connotation. I do understand the use of the word in this context, but I am not sure that the definition draws a particularly meaningful parallel (considering that I don't worship any god). Therefore, I tend not to use it in that fashion.

Thus, Planet X.

[Trent Wray]

Thanx for the great responses :). Hopefully the votes will go up :(

[Arcade22]

My family and my people.

[Sledge]

Optimus Prime. Seriously.

And mocking Arcade22's people.

[Dancing David]

I suppose this could turn quickly into a boring or pointless thread, but I was wondering (being inspired from another thread) what the overall view on the idea of something being "sacred" is here on the forum? I personally don't believe that "sacred" applies solely to religion/spiritual concepts, although I think it is subjective and largely an "eye of the beholder" type of thing obviously.

So what is your personal definition of "sacred" (apart from a copy and paste dictionary def.). In your own words :)

When thinking about my own definition, I and some others thought of these questions:

1) What is your personal definition of sacred?

Cool things that have personal meaINING.

2) Is there something that exists in your personal reality that you find to be sacred?

Yes, sex with my wife, life, growing things.

3) Do you think the "object of sacredness" should be defended, hidden, revealed, kept a secret, hinted at, etc?

I can discuss aspects of teh sacred, but the specifics should not be discussed. that removes the 'mystery'. They are personal.

4) Can something lose it's sacredness?

What may be sacred changes at times.

5) Should the sacred be debunked or respected, honored or ridiculed?

That is good reason for not discussing the specifics.

6) What is the importance of sacredness in the hierarchy of one's personal life? IOW, is it the underlying drive and focus of everything a person does? Should it be?

The moral values are the same, with or without.

7) Should it be shared? Does that increase or decrease it's "sacredness"?

yes and no, some working are best left to 'personal'. Some are better shared.

8) Will you say exactly what is sacred to you (or the focus of the sacredness, i.e. a spouse, love itself, an heirloom, your dreams, etc)

Life in general, death in general. The universe, sex with my wife. Certain places and certain events. People are cool, it is hard to accept the sacred in everyone, that is sort of a test.
Certain events:Like seeing otters in the wild! Or having a butterfly garden, meteor showers and comets.


Any responses are appreciated! :)

[shandyjan]

I didnt vote either, as sacred isnt a word I connect to. It has religious connotations as in 'Sacred Heart' and sacrificial. Love, worship and cherish may be involved with people, but they arent sacred.

[Trent Wray]

I didnt vote either, as sacred isnt a word I connect to. It has religious connotations as in 'Sacred Heart' and sacrificial. Love, worship and cherish may be involved with people, but they arent sacred. I never made the correlation between the words "sacred" and "sacrificial". Hmm .....

-----------

I'll answer my own post, and try not to type out an essay on it :)

I personally think there is something that two people who love each other, a specific way, can experience that is "sacred". It involves a level of trust, humility, vulnerability, and a "kind of truth" that creates a bond that cannot be easily described ... and should not be described. I think it should remain hidden and honored, lived for and willing to die for. It doesn't need "defending" .... as it's something that can't be taken away once experienced. To talk about it and try to describe it devalues it somehow. It's not for display.

I can say I love someone whom I would willingly choose to suffer for, daily if necessary, even to my own detriment. Even if my love was wasted. I honestly believe that it's possible to view a human being as priceless. I don't view everyone this way, unfortunately :). But I view this one individual in particular this way. And it's because what we have is sacred and priceless to me.

The priceless thing, as I define it, is priceless because it has no price tag on it. This also means it's not for sale.

And it also means, since it doesn't have a price tag on it, that it's free to the person willing to pay the right price :). And that price is everything. I've experienced what I believe to be sacred with another person, and it cost me almost everything ... and I gave it freely, with no strings attached :) And it's mine to cherish and reflect upon and look at, for as long as I live and am able to. And it's not tangible or religious.

[Ron_Tomkins]

The fact that I had to think long enough for an answer, hints me that there's nothing really sacred for me. At least nothing that I have consciously put on a pedestal as being sacred.

I have a problem with things being sacred and with pedestals. I have an issue with fanatism, with making a big deal out of something, giving it an overly important significance, a weight that could make you slap the hand of someone touching it and make words like "Do not touch/look at that! That is sacred to me" come out of my mouth. If something like that ever came out of my mouth, I would immediately have myself checked.

That said, I LOVE women. But even that, I can't treat as something sacred. It is precisely because I love women that I do not put them on a pedestal. That's how a lot of sweet, intelligent men can end up creating a slight sense of guilt. By making a beautiful woman "sacred". They can end up not wanting to offend a woman by getting sexual with her, as if sex was something "offensive". It can happen very slightly in the subconscious, and next thing you know, you've created a complex just because you made something sacred.

That is my experience and personal opinion with the whole issue of sacredness. I'm not claiming that it should be the same for everyone else.

[gerg]

Anything that can't be scientifically proven..now that's sacred to me

[Astreja]

There are many things that I value, but none of them are exempt from scrutiny. The concept of something being "sacred" doesn't strike me as overly useful except as a "Hands off!" addressed to other people.

[Staropeace]

The house by the sea where I was a child in Newfoundland. That matters to me and I would never sell it...too many memories. I was a foster child and my adopted parents were the best in the world. Home is important to me and belonging.

My family members........and my cat.

[Helen]

I've wanted to answer this for a while, but I feel a bit ashamed of what my answer turns out to be. I've read Miss Kitt's post a few times, and it's a remarkable post, wish I could emulate both content and language.

Sacred is a word I find a bit difficult, so I'll just steal Miss Kitt's definition (if you have to steal, only steal the best): "Something that should be defended, valued, held in the deepest respect, treated as important even if one is habitually given to laughing at almost anything." It's better than anything I could ever formulate.

First of all: My loved ones (family and close friends), by that definition, are sacred. Whatever I can do to keep them from pain and suffering, will be done. If there is any sacrifice to be made on my part to ensure that, it will be made. Even if I do not want to, deep down... And knowing me, my first instinct would be to shirk any sacrifice. I wouldn't, I don't, in the end, partly since that is not an image of myself I'm comfortable with, but mostly because I couldn't.

And here are the rest, and I would put the first before anything else on the list. I'm not saying this is right, I'm just saying that this is who I am.

Me. Yes that's right. Me. Whatever I can do to keep me from pain and suffering, will be done. I will, however, put my loved ones first, and without much soul searching. Not only because I think it is right, but because that is what I want to do.

Other people. Those who may somehow need my protection first of all; children, old people, anyone with disadvantages greater than mine. I will intervene, if necessary, in everyday life, and I try to help on a more theoretical level as well.

And then the rest of you too. I think we all have some kind of responsibility towards others. Human life is one of the things I feel should be held in the very deepest respect.

Animals. I do what I can to stop them from suffering. I have killed small animals a couple of times, when I realised that it was the only way to help. Apart from that I do my best not to add to the sum of animal suffering in the world. Yes, I eat meat, but I try to choose what I eat from that standpoint.

Truth should be on this list, but oh, Miss Kitt, here I fall far short of you! White lies, and small lies of omission, are fine by me. Embellishing a story? Absolutely! But it gets worse. I gladly sugar coat harsh realities, if I can. To others, if I feel they want me to, and to myself. Yes, I lie to myself. There have been some cases of severe illness in my family, a couple of them my own. When I first find out, I pace myself. I read and take in only a little, and pretend for a while that everything will be alright. Then I take it step by step, until I can deal with it all (if ever:blush:). I do the same with others, if they don't insist on knowing.

Like Miss Kitt, however, (phew, finally:p), I am honest in friendship and love. But I quake when I have to tell the kinds of truths she writes about (drinking problems, for instance), and would really rather not. Oh, and I am truthful to myself - I am not in denial about my own weaknesses. I love me in spite of them;-)

I would like to say that the above is not true, but sadly, it is. For once, I have not lied.

Finally, words. I value words very highly, in different ways. Free speech, for instance, without it other truly valuable things such as democracy, are meaningless. But also the words themselves. They should be treated with respect. Use them freely, by all means, but use them carefully. Don't fall for corporate speak and the like, and try not to dilute their meanings. Weigh them carefully so as not to cause unnecessary pain. Try your hand at creating beauty with words, when and if you can. Like Miss Kitt.

But as I say, my loved ones would make me desert any principle. In theory, I think this is wrong. There ought to be ideals that are more important than individuals. I think perhaps I did have such ideals once, but that was long ago. Besides, I think the wench who had them is dead. The woman who replaced her seems to be an unprincipled liar. But that's alright, as I said; I love myself in spite of all my weaknesses.

Lucky, that;).

[uruk]

There are some things that are very important to me. I would kill and die for them. (i.e. wife, family, my Homer Simpson underwear collection....)

But there is nothing that I hold sacred. Everything is subject to criticizim and ridicule/satire and quenstioning.

[ingoa]

I would never use the term "sacred".
But if you think that sacred means untouchable, everlasting position then I will nominate my sacred cow:

Human Rights.

[Cainkane1]

I hold civil rights scared. The rights of children and adults to be free of fear and crime etc.

[Darth Rotor]

My oath at the altar.

My oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

[Marquis de Carabas]

What's sacred to me:

a synonym of frightened
dyslexia

[Trent Wray]

What's sacred to me:

a synonym of frightened
dyslexia Yeah I saw that :)

[Miss_Kitt]

Helen, the check is in the mail!!

[sgtbaker]

Sam Kinison (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bfgrj_62-Y&feature=related)

...oh, and Doritos. :D

[wolfgirl]

Like others before me, I question the use of the term "sacred." But taking the term to mean something like "something extremely valuable that you would never do anything to risk," I do hold my loved ones as sacred (including my cat), and I hold my marriage vow as sacred, and I hold my belief in being kind and humane to as many living things as is possible as sacred.