Do they Worship Gandhi or Roosevelt ?
I found myself again explaining to my best friend today why i don't go to "church" (a born-again Christian Northern Baptist church)
I suppose i'm suppose to go though the motions of contemplating what i believe in. Is there a higher power? Does he/she/it care about the actions of a finite life form? Do i believe that there is another life after death; heaven/hell?
I respect those who have such belief/faith in these things. Regardless of who/where they are. Muhammad, the holy trinity, Buddha, etc. Their devotion is fascinating, i am envious to an extent.
But most of these religions base their beliefs on a man. A human. A flesh and blood being. Like me? (cough except the female part lol could they have handled menstruation??) There is something there that stops me. Makes me ponder. What makes us different from the non-human life forms? What if god was a dog? Or dolphin?
I look at the facts. Evolution has been proven. But the Big Bang is still a bit fuzzy. So the possibility is there, an outside source. Evolution has too many random variables. If the sun was a little farther away would we be here?
But Religion has caused so much pain and destruction. The rise and fall of populations, slavery, empires. How could any deity who takes such care of their followers allow that? On top of that we are only human. How many mistranslations have their been since any guidelines have been handed down from gods to their followers? Or twisted by man's desires?
I do know that there are far too many connections between religions and beliefs for there not to be something. Heaven and Hell. Good and evil. Even more mystical connections such as dragons or descriptions of "monsters" are far too common in most religions.
So what do i believe in?
There is a right and a wrong. But each individual must decide that path on their own.
Friendship, a connection between individuals human and non human.
Respect and a desire for knowledge.
And so:
I get irritated when i repeatedly have to explain this to my family. I'm not persuading them against what they believe. So i ask for respect for what i believe. I own a bible given to me by a church family who most of them care about me. And i would accept any other religious material offered by anyone else.
I don't agree with messages of hate. When the leader of a church tells me my friends are wrong for being who they are, or that it's wrong for me to be bisexual then yes. I am offended. I don't believe my Jewish or Muslim or any other friend of mine will burn in any hell for not believing in the right god. So I cannot celebrate Easter as a religious holiday. For me it is a celebration of spring. Yes there is rebirth but not of a god, of the planet. I suppose there is room for argument there but this is what i believe to this point.
I suppose i'm suppose to go though the motions of contemplating what i believe in. Is there a higher power? Does he/she/it care about the actions of a finite life form? Do i believe that there is another life after death; heaven/hell?
I respect those who have such belief/faith in these things. Regardless of who/where they are. Muhammad, the holy trinity, Buddha, etc. Their devotion is fascinating, i am envious to an extent.
But most of these religions base their beliefs on a man. A human. A flesh and blood being. Like me? (cough except the female part lol could they have handled menstruation??) There is something there that stops me. Makes me ponder. What makes us different from the non-human life forms? What if god was a dog? Or dolphin?
I look at the facts. Evolution has been proven. But the Big Bang is still a bit fuzzy. So the possibility is there, an outside source. Evolution has too many random variables. If the sun was a little farther away would we be here?
But Religion has caused so much pain and destruction. The rise and fall of populations, slavery, empires. How could any deity who takes such care of their followers allow that? On top of that we are only human. How many mistranslations have their been since any guidelines have been handed down from gods to their followers? Or twisted by man's desires?
I do know that there are far too many connections between religions and beliefs for there not to be something. Heaven and Hell. Good and evil. Even more mystical connections such as dragons or descriptions of "monsters" are far too common in most religions.
So what do i believe in?
There is a right and a wrong. But each individual must decide that path on their own.
Friendship, a connection between individuals human and non human.
Respect and a desire for knowledge.
And so:
I get irritated when i repeatedly have to explain this to my family. I'm not persuading them against what they believe. So i ask for respect for what i believe. I own a bible given to me by a church family who most of them care about me. And i would accept any other religious material offered by anyone else.
I don't agree with messages of hate. When the leader of a church tells me my friends are wrong for being who they are, or that it's wrong for me to be bisexual then yes. I am offended. I don't believe my Jewish or Muslim or any other friend of mine will burn in any hell for not believing in the right god. So I cannot celebrate Easter as a religious holiday. For me it is a celebration of spring. Yes there is rebirth but not of a god, of the planet. I suppose there is room for argument there but this is what i believe to this point.