be a debaser

[nirvana22]

my problem with religion is that those who run the churches assume to know everything about god, they place themselves above everyone else. good example: the pope and the bishops of the catholic church. also, my other problem is that the followers of religion (i'm referring to christianity because i haven't had the same encounters with followers of islam and judaism), the everyday people, assume they are living the right way of life. their minds have been so clouded by what they have been taught that they can't see past their beliefs to understand the criticisms someone may have about their religion and/or church. this is especially true for those that have been raised within a church. how can you ever come to a rational decision about your spiritual beliefs if you were baptized into a church when you were a baby? i do not think, under any circumstance, that children should be raised in church environments. i think it is harmful and leads to confusion. furthermore, trying to constructively criticize and question the beliefs of a religious person is like talking to a brick wall. they become too easily offended. my personal belief, as a former member of a church and follower of christianity, is that they have been so scared into what they believe. its not frightening to hear that god loves you but they're scared of not doing right by god. therefore, its better to blindly follow what you've been taught than to have a discussion of criticisms. also, its not just that they become offended, often, they feel that you are attacking them. when i question religious beliefs, i am not attacking them. i want explanations, thats all. believe what you want to believe, but if you're going to defend your beliefs then be confident in them. personally, when i bring up criticisms of religion it is always pointed out to me how i don't have any spiritual beliefs of my own so how dare i say what i'm saying. and herein lies the problem with religion. a feeling of superiority, an assumption of right living, an inability to see other points of view. all of which create problems between people. people that could otherwise live peacefully.

"Whosoever, therefore, knowing that the Catholic Church was made necessary by Christ, would refuse to enter or to remain in it, could not be saved."
-Pope Paul VI