Religion

Religion
I don't like religion, any of them really. I think most are crutches for the lazy-minded who latch on to whatever best fits their lifestyle and then permit themselves to stop thinking about what may or may not be beyond this life. The best teach not of gods and unicorns, but of how to live better yourself. The worst promote hate against other people based on beliefs – much like people used to promote hatred of other people based on skin color. Religions have been the cause of untold wars and more deaths than could be imagined. Torturing is common in religious wars. What's worse than a religion? It's followers. Especially those hypocrites who claim to believe in any particular religion and then either only follow the parts they like, or are only followers in their words – where their actions rarely reflect their "beliefs." Even Jesus (who very well have been a great teacher and moral advisor, but was not the son of any god – I have another view about Jesus, but that is for another day) taught about how the Christian god hated hypocrites and those who were only "warm" in their religious practices. Every religion has its hypocrites, and they are easy to spot.

Many churches and faiths in the United States claim that this is a Christian Nation because the majority of the people claim "Christianity" as their faith. Here's a newsflash – most of those people DON'T follow their "faith" and I suspect many also don't even believe in it – or even think about it for more than a few minutes on Sunday. Some people claim this nation was founded to be a Christian Nation – also wrong. Read the Jefferson Bible if you think Jefferson really was a Christian. Most Christians claim to be Christians because they were raised and told they were Christians. Most probably couldn't articulate what exactly makes a Christian a Christian – but they are sure they are one.

Even among the hard-core Bible believing, heaven or hell, Christians there are numerous things they can't agree on about the Bible. I guess the Bible wasn't made to be understandable by everyone – in fact, before the Gutenburg Printing Press, the commoners couldn't even READ the Bible, much less understand the intricacies in it. They relied on the Church to tell them what it said, and they pretty much had to believe whatever drivel the pastor put out.

I'll bet most people can't even name all the different sects of Christianity there are. Doesn't it strike anyone as odd that there can be so many different ways to read the Bible that even Christians aren't always sure what denomination they are? And don't even start in with the Catholics; purgatory? Buying your way into heaven? The Pope is always right? Even when he disagrees with other Popes? Does the Catholic god really change his mind that often? Please. Most rational people will understand that it makes no sense.

I think that most pastors are actually moderately intelligent people who have simply decided to turn off their thinking processes when it comes to religion. They may think hard and critically about politics, war, the newest best-seller, their finances, family, and all the other stuff in their lives – but when it comes to religion, the doors shut, the thinking turns off and anything that may threaten to contradict whatever irrational beliefs they have is not allowed to be processed. But, somewhere, deep in their psyche, where they never dwell for any longer than a few moments, the truth hides – they doubt, I think they all do. They doubt the Bible, they doubt god, they doubt faith, they doubt what they say is the truth. I think all pastors, preachers, Bishops, and religious leaders doubt the truth of their own sermons, and something I wonder if they hate themselves for doubting. Undoubtedly, few will admit their doubt.

But anyway, back to hypocrites. There are so many in the Christian faith that its impossible NOT to be a hypocrite. They can't follow all the rules, so most pick and choose the ones that are easiest to follow and call it good. That is a bad Christian. The ones that try to preach to others are the worst – especially the ones that just do it out of the blue because they feel a need to spread the word about how you have to believe the Bible and do what it says or you go to hell. I do believe that the Bible says something about pulling the plank out of your own eye before going after the sliver in someone else's. That means, clean up your own house before criticizing mine.

I also think its great how the hard-core Christians have made it so everyone either falls into their Flock (like good little sheep) or are Satanists. There is no middle ground. Even if you don't believe in their protagonist or their antagonist they rationalize it by saying that you have been fooled or tricked by their "bad guy." Soooo, by that reasoning, if all of you don't believe in my fairy-tale god, and my boogie man who lives under the stairs, you have already fallen into the devious boogie man plan and are doomed to an eternity of Ed, Edd, and Eddy cartoons. Mwhahahaha! … Now, isn't that stupid?

Let's move onto Mormons. I have no problem with Mormons as people, they are welcome to their beliefs that are just a bit sillier than the average Christian. Not only do they believe are the Christian hype, they also believe in Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. And they believe in magic tablets that only one guy in the whole world was allowed to read and understand. Given to him in private by an angel named Moroni. Just goes to show you, people are gullible and will believe whatever you want them too. Whoever started the Mormon religion was a damned genius. First, take all of the woman-hating pieces of the Bible (subservient property essentially) and then add in that you can have as many as you want to serve you! And, who cares how young they are, just have at it! Brigham Young? Or Bring'em Young? Coincidence? I don't think so. Shall we delve further into the Mormons? Sure, why not?

*There are families and marriage in Heaven. I'm pretty sure the Bible says the opposite.

*Jesus was a polygamist – wait, that probably IS true!

*Only 144,000 can be saved – then why do they keep trying to recruit more? Doesn't that lower their odds of getting in?

*Levels of heaven – isn't paradise paradise? How can there be different levels?

*No coffee, no drugs, no tobacco, no hot drinks – what exactly counts as a drug? Hot coco? Caffeine? Tylenol? And how many Mormons are super-hypocrites because of these?

*No black priests (up til 1978 – at which time god changed his mind about them), no women priests (yet, god could still change his mind about them too).

*Multiple worlds – wait, this one actually makes sense too. Anyone who really thinks that this is the only planet with life on it is crazy. Millions, billions of stars out there, and only ONE develops intelligent life? That's just stupid – even statistically.

*Special underwear – how special IS it???? Like Superman tights "special"? Or (as Carlos Mencia would say) Dee Dee Deee brown stain "special"? Apparently it protects the mormons against evil – like me.

*Polygamy – having lots of wives was great for the first Mormons, not so much anymore (at least not officially – god changed his mind again). Actually, polygamy is only officially not sanctioned because Utah wanted to become a state. So, apparently the benefits of belonging to the United States are more important than following the word of god. Nice, I'm sure that'll win points in heaven.

*Women can only be saved through a husband. Therefore, the women NEED to be married to be saved – AND, they are pregnant for eternity. That has to suck.

*The Mormon Jesus came about because Mary and god "got busy." Literally.

And on and on and on…

Damn, only through Christians and Mormons. I could go on with the other gazillion religions, and maybe someday I will, but for now, those two are perfect examples of how religion is lazy and thoughtless.

Religions cause wars – always have and always will. That's just a fact. Religious cause one man to kill another because they believe different things about what no one can really speak of with any certainty. Religions were started by the cavemen who wanted to know what ELSE was out there. The cavemen actually used their brains MORE than the modern religious person. At least they had to come up with their own ideas about what was out there, rather than having it forced into them by their parents.

Children are indoctrinated from an early age with what to believe and what not to believe. Many parents are very protective that their children not be exposed to any ideas that aren't part of THEIR beliefs. Why? Isn't the strength of their religion, its ability to convince young minds, enough on its own? Shouldn't it be clear that their religion is the true one? Why should my neighbors worry that I may tell their little girl that there is NO boogie man under the house waiting to burn them alive if they don't go to bed on time or eat their peas? If there really WAS such a monster, wouldn't *I* be worried about it too?

The good news is that reality doesn't care if you've been baptized in oil, water or dog doo. Reality doesn't care if you don't like it. Reality doesn't need you to believe that its true. Reality won't threaten you with eternal pain for not believing in it and it won't offer bribes of eternal bliss for believing. Reality doesn't care if you disown it, if you worship other gods, any gods, or no gods – it doesn't care. Reality exists and is unchanging, regardless of whether you accept it or not. And reality doesn't play favorites or exclude anyone. Reality is the same for men, women, children, babies, blacks, whites, greens, pinks, yellows, reds, oranges, and any other color. Reality is the same for not only people, but for dogs, cats, mice, gnats, and dragons. You don't have to believe in reality to get the same thing as everyone else does. Reality doesn't ask for money to raise a building. Reality won't tell you to kill those who disagree, hell, it won't even tell you to try and win converts. Reality is so far beyond the ego of man that it doesn't even notice when millions die in an earthquake. Reality won't even bat an eye when the people of this planet destroy themselves and become extinct.

Someday I'll go into what *I* believe, but not today, today is just a rant against religion and all the suffering it has caused and continues to cause every day. Let me be clear, I DON'T KNOW reality for certain. I just have theories.