My hiatus from Texas continues, as I am thoroughly enjoying a well-needed vacation. Now that I'm 72 hours removed from the esteemed American Bible Belt, I can look at it with a bird's eye view and really understand why I hate living there.I remember having a rather heated conversation with a co-worker regarding religion and spirituality. Although she is a very nice lady, she just couldn't understand how I could go from being a Baptist to a person that claims to just be 'Spiritual'. In her view, 'Spiritual' people are going to hell because we are essentially rejecting the Almighty. You know the rest... repent for being a cocksucker, blah blah blah... burning in hell... blah blah blah... lake of fire... blah blah blah.
Mmmmm hmmmmm. So, what is my problem with religion? It's simple, really. It would seem that every 'one-God' religion shuns upon us idolizing other Gods, and thus, idolatry is like a Level 5 sin. Okay, my dear, sweet lady... so how do you know that 'The Lord' is the correct one to idolize? How do you know you aren't being tricked by some dubious Demon or Devil into thinking your God is the right one to worship? Is the correct God the one that hates fags? Is the correct God the one that so many wars of oppression, affliction, and violence have been waged over? How do you know that you aren't straying away from Allah, or Raheem, or Khalil, or Holy Rock, or some other nutwing that claims to be the way of 'God'?
You don't. Neither do I. As such, I find the safest course of action is to adhere to the belief that there is a higher power... I just don't know His/Her/Their/It's name... and truthfully, it doesn't matter to me. What does matter to me is that I live the best possible life that I can. I treat others with respect and dignity. I do good things. I love others, regardless if they hate me. I try to make the world a better place. If your God will send me to Hell anyway, since I suck dick and all, then which of us truly has morals? Your God.... or your friendly cocksucking co-worker?
I had to let religion go to keep myself sane
ReplyDeleteGood post Kevin.
ReplyDeleteI once ahd a similar discussion with a coworker who has the 'My God Is The Only God' mentality. But I asked about the 'other' gods of other faiths; they weren't real, she said, and if you believed that you weren't going to heaven.
But I told her that i belive that heaven is a mountaintop, and there are many roads to the top, and it matters not which road you take, it only matters that you get there.
She looked at me like her head was going to implode.
For the record, your view of religion is the exact same as mine, and i'm sure there are more of 'us' out there!
Bob, I believe there are many more of 'us' out there, too... and I should clarify that this isn't about bashing those who have one-God religions. My beef is not with calling this higher power "God". My beef is with the afflictions and hatred that the religious concept spawns.
ReplyDeleteBut the moment I read, "I am a jealous God." that's when my old beliefs started to change. And I still don't understand why DNA tests don't confirm that we're all related -- I mean, after all, Noah and his family had to get off the arc and start breeding, right?
The questions went on and on, so I'm there with ya, Wonder Man. Sanity is treasure.
Kevin,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all people are not all that birght, give them a break. Second now. the God I know is a loving God. He sent His Son down to earth to die for my sins and everyone sins. Rememeber those how have not sin cast the first stone. The God I now loves everyone but hates the sin. The story about Sodom and Gomorrah (Spell check here would be nice) isabout being hospitable not beig Gay. Why would the Man of the house offer his virgin daughters to the people and not the Angles( His guest). I as a gay man would not want a woman, so that proves that erea wrong. Sorry this is a sore subject for me. If youwant totalk about this. please email and we can have a long talk/ chat.
Ray
Well it seems to me that religion is not really the problem...its the people behind it that take it to a whole new level....every where you go there are going to be stone casting zealots that try to tell you your going to hell for this, that, and the other....but how do they really know what happens to us when we die?...they don’t...so who cares what they think...I am a fellow Christian who goes to church on a pretty regular basis....that works for me...some people don’t need that to find their own connections to something spiritual...how ever you choose to do it is nobody else’s business...just find your niche and move on. ..and the next time somebody asks you who is going to save your soul?...just smile and say who is going to save yours?. Because we don’t truly know what happens to us after death….just remember that they are just humans the same as you are and they have no power over your life and what happens before it, in it, or after it …that is between you and whatever higher power you choose to believe in ...we should all learn to live and let live....I know that is my philosophy!!
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