Now before I get started, be warned that this post may offend. You are reminded that this is my opinion and that I do not claim any of my beliefs as fact or correct or the right way to go about things or anything. You believe what you want to believe; I will do the same.
I dislike religion. I am not singling out any particular religion here, I dislike the entire concept of religion. I don't mind those who believe in a God, but when they make it a matter of life and death I think it's taking it a bit far. Part of me thinks that God and everything to do with religion is made up; because there are things we as humans cannot explain, we have used our imaginations. We aren't certain how the Earth was created - God made it. We aren't certain how we came to be on this Earth - God made us.
I cannot stand preaching. People who tell me that God will save me if I submit myself to Him or whatever can get lost. I will not have anyone tell me how to live my life or what to believe, especially when there is no proof that living such a life is better than any other.
I am fine with those who want to use Jesus/Mohammed/[insert other deity here]'s life or the Bible/Torah/Qu'ran etc. as a guide, but following it word for word is just wrong. Would these people really have wanted you to follow their life 100% accurately? I don't think so. They would have liked you to make your own decisions and when you aren't sure about something, refer to their writings or whatever.
Because quite frankly, these people who live their lives 100% like the Bible says are no more than little bleating sheep with no mind of their own. Ask them a question and they'll have to refer to the Big Book of Rules (aka Bible) to see what they can say in answer. Despite personal feelings regarding marriage/homosexuality, I know a lot of religious people who suppress natural feelings because they "aren't allowed to feel such things". Yeah ok, whatever.
I don't think that's quite what religion is about. It's not a set of rules to live your life by, it's meant to be a guideline. Not a you-must-do-this-and-you-must-not-do-that type thing, because although some people like to be told exactly what to think and do every day, that is not my idea of fun.
By all means refer to the Bible when/if you have difficulty with something and you want to see how Jesus dealt with it or whatever, but don't consult the thing every time someone asks you a question.
But, I hear you say, "It's a choice!!1" ... Yeah, well it's not a choice I would personally make and it's not a choice that I want people to constantly remind me that they have made. I know quite a few people who, as they put it, had no direction in life before Christ. They are happy to follow every word of the Bible, but they also love to remind me of that. I accept that they have chosen their path, and I would like it if they accepted my choice not to choose their path. I never tell them how stupid they are for being religious or whatever (only jokingly, heh), because as I said, it's their choice.
Fundamentally, I believe life is for making your own discoveries and your own mistakes. I think a lot of people are brought up in a religious background where religion is not a choice, it is the way. A friend of my family's is a pastor yet he is bringing his children up completely free of religion so that they are free to make their own choices later. That is the sort of thing I want to see more of, not people who force their own choice upon others, like parents who have made a religious choice and force their children into it as well.
I don't think God would be sending people to hell if they didn't go to church 29374089732985 times a day or whatever or whether they have sex outside of marriage and all that. I think all He wants is for us, who may or may not be His creation, to live in peace with each other.
I think religion just shows how dependent people are on knowing the whys, hows, whats, wheres, etc. I know that it's difficult for some people to just deal with things as they are (and I'm one of these people - I have to know everything about everything), but I don't understand why these same people will turn to religion as the answer since there is hardly any proof to support its theories, just like the big bang and other such things. We can't know the answers to life, the universe and everything (and no it isn't 42) because we weren't there when it started. We will never have 100% proof of any theory.
How do we know that the Bible wasn't just a story told by a parent to their questioning children all those thousands of years ago? The children told other children, those who could write wrote bits down, it got passed along the generations, etc. etc. etc.
Madness, I tell you.
Dee
2/12/2007 at 21:15
Have you read Richard Dawkin's The God Delusion? It's a good primer for the budding non-theist.
Donnie
2/12/2007 at 21:37
I don't agree with religion either. I think it teaches and breeds hate, intolerance, and prejudice more than anything else. Millions if not billions of people throughout history to this day are losting their lives in the name of it. It's one of the reasons why 9/11 happened, and one of the main reasons why the idiots here support Bush. All through both elections, it was widely reported that preachers and the like were telling their congregation that it would immoral to vote for a candidate other than Bush, and that they would be banned from their church if they found out they didn't vote for him.
People who believe in religion are sheep. Most of them are brain washed from birth and don't think for themselves. They've been told what to believe, how to dress, how they and even people they don't even know should live their lives, etc. They care little about science, logic, common sense, or people who don't share their beliefs.
Last, but not least, they're the biggest hypocrites know to man. Think of the countless priest who were accused of raping young boys and girls (almost none were thrown in jail, just moved to a different church). Not to mention, the many conservative, Bush supporting, gay hating Republicans in office who were outed and later admitted to being gay, the high ranking, widely popular and followed, Christian evangelists who turned out to be drug addicts, and the great Christian/Conservative spokes men, Rush Limbaugh and Bll 0"reilly, one found to be a drug addict and the other one was caught on tape sexually harassing his female employees. The kicker is that Christians and Republicans still support and follow these people.
No one could possibly know if their god exist or not, how or why we're here, and/or what's going to happen to us after we leave. IMHO, anyone that thinks they know just because some thousand year old book told them so, is a senile/gullible idiot.
Amelie
2/12/2007 at 21:40
*Claps* Now, this is exactly what I was trying to say yet couldn't exactly.
100% agreed.
Regina
3/12/2007 at 7:08
Well, I'm a believer...meaning I believe there's a God, Jesus and that we die and reincarnate on and on. I believe in karma and I choose to believe partially in some doctrines from Buddhism and Hinduism.
But yes, I don't believe in religion. That's a mankind's invention and I truly think it's all corrupted. I won't ever believe a priest is holier than me. Not even the Pope. They're just people like anybody else, they don't talk with God.
Religion is and has been used to control the masses, and the masses are so idiotic that they let themselves be controlled and scared.
How can people tell me that if I accept Jesus into my life, I will be saved? That's bullshit, cause what is it really to accept Jesus? To say his name and that's it?
I've been raised in a Catholic family that isn't very orthodox. Other members of our family did what one should call sinning, but then they went to church, confessed and they got a forgiveness from the priest, cause they said: "forgive me father for I have sinned". Then that's it. Confessing and getting the "forgiveness" of another human being is the key to do whatever atrocity you'd like and getting away with it, cause you know...God forgives you no matter what, as long as you say his name. Bollocks!
I still choose to believe. I can't not to. My life would be a lot different if I didn't. I wouldn't have hope life, the word and everything known to men is happening for a reason. All the atrocities and gruesome things, war, rape, all...without God and Jesus to make me feel better, I'd be lost. Maybe it's just our minds construct, but to me it's an internal belief. I choose to believe God and Jesus are there to protect me and give me solace.
But I won't accept nobody to push their beliefs or anti-beliefs down my throat.
Interesting post, Amelie.
May I suggest you another interesting post that shows both sides of the mirror?
http://www.merilin.net/index.php/2007/11/30/because-plucking-my-eyebrows-isnt-torture-enough/
Louise
3/12/2007 at 7:31
Believing person A: "God and Jesus want you to love and be kind to all people."
Believing person B: "I hate you. I will kill you for my God."
That is one reason why I don't want to be in a religion. I mean why use your religion to do the opposite of what your higher figure has told you all your life? o_O
Jamie
4/12/2007 at 2:42
Very well said Amelie (and Donnie). I agree with everything said here. While I don't believe in religion, I can respect that others do and follow it and that is their choice but I expect my choice to be respected as well and sometimes (most of the time) that is not the case.
I don't need a book to tell me what is right and wrong and I certainly don't need it to tell me who I can have a relationship with.
I've always wondered myself where the Bible actually came from. I said the very thing you said (that maybe it was a bedtime story passed on and on) to a very religious person and they just looked at me like I should go to hell for even wondering that.
I have an Uncle who said that you will go to hell if you don't go to church. I'm sorry but you can be an adamant church goer and sin more than anyone who has never attended church in their life. Just because you go to church or pray or whatever, does not make you better than someone who doesn't.
I make mistakes but I try to learn something from each one and grow as a person. That is what it's all about.
Rebecca
9/12/2007 at 18:30
I totally agree.
Earlier this year I was confronted by two girls trying to coax me into joining their religion (Christian). It was hard not to laugh as they kept telling me God was great and stuff.
They told me that God doesn't like sinners and all that junk so I said: but aren't you sinning? Since you have clothing, food and luxuries that people, and other Christians, do not? Is that not gluttony? The girl I was talking to just looked at me funny then proceeded to sell God and Jesus to me again.
I told her my opinions, my beliefs and she pretty much nodded and smiled and completely trashed them with her God crap.
Is this what religion is? Recruiting more members for some awesome club with only the 'cool kids'?
Even if religious-followers go to church every Sunday and all that ritualistic stuff, they are still sinning according to the definition of sinning the girl gave me. People in the Americas and other developed countries are very gluttonous compared to third-world countries. I don't see the religious people sharing their wealth all around the globe.
Imo, religion only serves to cause problems.
Cristina
13/12/2007 at 21:29
Wow Amelie! I couldn't agree with you more. Your blurb about God really wanting us to live in peace, not send us to hell for things, really hit home with me. It's exactly what I believe.
I have to deal with various family members snubbing me because OMG I'm living with my boyfriend of three years and according to them God doesn't like that. I think if God wanted to punish me for me sinning and the like, he knows where I live.
Khairunnisa
23/12/2007 at 9:42
Islam, the true faith. Study it, then you know. Don't judge anything based on the surface of the water or how you see it. See what's not.
Amelie
23/12/2007 at 11:44
I have studied Islam, actually. I studied it for 2 years and did several exams in it.
Like I said, I have nothing against those who choose to be religious, however I would like it if they choose to respect my choice that I am not. I don't tell religious people they shouldn't be religious because of XYZ reason, so I would appreciate it if others didn't come up to me and tell me that God will save me and blah blah blah because I am not religious.