It seems as though someone on Facebook has their knickers in a knot about religion, particularly Christianity. Trust me, it isn’t me coming up with these polls just so I’ll have something to rant about on my blog. But since the question was raised, I’ll throw in [...]]]> Another Facebook poll — Should Religion Be Made Illegal?

It seems as though someone on Facebook has their knickers in a knot about religion, particularly Christianity. Trust me, it isn’t me coming up with these polls just so I’ll have something to rant about on my blog. But since the question was raised, I’ll throw in my 2¢.

In the United States, criminalizing religion would be a direct violation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Was the creator of this poll suggesting that all religions be illegal or just certain ones? Some of the darkest periods of man’s history have occurred when religions were banned, persecuted or annihilated by governments, religions or religions acting as the de facto government. What good could come from making the practice of any religion a crime?

Religion, in and of itself, is not bad. Most, if not all, of the world’s major religions espouse noble and lofty principles and ideals that improve or benefit the human condition. The problems we attribute to religion can actually be attributed to how certain people and institutions interpret and practice their religion. There are many who fervently believe that their religion is the only “true” religion and that anyone who believe something else is wrong and must either be converted or otherwise shown the error of his ways. That’s where religion breaks down. Your holy texts tell you that you should practice tolerance and love your neighbor but then those who make the rules for your religion add the caveat, “but only if they are of the same faith as us.” That’s bullshit.

Scriptures, whether the Bible, the Koran, the teachings of Buddha, or whatever defines your religion, should be taken in the historical and cultural contexts in which they were written. Religion is a guide for living a holy life not a set of absolute rules. Even if they are the Word of God or the product of divine inspiration, you have to keep in mind that they were written by men and, therefore, subject to editorial license, differences in translation and interpretation, and dumbing down for the masses. While mankind has progressed over the centuries our religions have, for the most part, remained in the Dark Ages.

John Lennon asked us to imagine a world with no religion but what would a world without religion really be like? Most people have a basic need to believe in something greater than themselves and to hope for something better when this life is over. Man is basically a social being and finds strength and comfort in associating with others who hold similar beliefs. Without something to believe in, most people probably couldn’t cope with life’s harsh realities. Maybe religion is a crutch but sometimes we need a crutch in order to stand up. I agree with Voltaire who said, “If God didn’t exist, we’d have to invent him.”

Overall, I believe that religion and faith are inherently good things. But whatever religion or faith that you practice, I would ask that you not follow it blindly as faith must be tempered by reason. I believe that you should look at its fundamental principles and ideals, the basic messages, not just the rhetoric and dogma that comes down from the leaders of your faith. Often, the message is lost in the rhetoric and invariably “fundamentalist” practitioners of a religion miss the real fundamentals of the religion. Take those fundamentals and apply them as they fit to your own life.

Religion should guide you along your chosen path to God instead of setting the absolute path for you. Ultimately, you are responsible for your own soul and you must find your own path to the Divine. The journey begins from within you. May you travel in light rather than darkness.

No. Whether or not one believes in God has nothing do do with one’s moral character. Many non-believers may actually have higher moral standards than many believers. Consider all the wars, atrocities, terrorist acts, genocide, and persecution that have been carried out in the name of God (or Jesus). There [...]]]> Do you believe atheists are immoral?

No. Whether or not one believes in God has nothing do do with one’s moral character. Many non-believers may actually have higher moral standards than many believers. Consider all the wars, atrocities, terrorist acts, genocide, and persecution that have been carried out in the name of God (or Jesus). There are, and have been, many devoutly religious people who seem to have problems following a high moral standard, many of whom have (had) the title of Reverend, Pastor, Father, Pope, or some other religious moniker before their names.

One person who left a comment on this Facebook poll said, “The Bible tells us what they are in Proverbs….not immoral…fools.” The only passage in Proverbs using the term fools I could find read, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7). Is fearing God the same as believing in God? In Christianity there is talk about God’s infinite love and at the same time we must fear God. We must love what we fear and fear what we love? That makes no sense.

I believe there is but one god who is known by many names and worshiped (or not) differently by many peoples. There are many paths to enlightenment, each just as valid as any other. That we believe or how we believe is unimportant. The important thing is to find our own path and follow it. If it turns out we have chosen a path that is wrong for us, we can chose a different path and follow that. All paths ultimately lead to the same destination. It’s the experience of the journey that enriches us.

For what it’s worth…

Last night, The History Channel had an interesting program about Heaven. They presented several different views including Judeo-Christian beliefs throughout history, ancient Egyptian, Greek, [...]]]> I originally composed the following on 22 September 2006 after seeing a program about Heaven presented on The History Channel. For one reason or another I didn’t post it at that time.

Last night, The History Channel had an interesting program about Heaven. They presented several different views including Judeo-Christian beliefs throughout history, ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman concepts, as well as the Islamic and Buddhist viewpoints. They even had commentary from a girl who, reportedly, has been there. She had gone into a diabetic coma for three days and she wasn’t expected to survive the first night. When she awake on the third day, she gave a detailed description. (That really sounds very New Testament, doesn’t it?)

I think the Buddhists have an interesting concept. They have about 30 different levels of Heaven and Hell. Each is temporary and depending on your karma, you spend varying amounts of time in them. To the Buddhists, Heaven and Hell are temporary states on the path to reaching Nirvana.

The was some discussion by a Muslim (I guess he was some sort of cleric) about the 72 virgins and martyrdom. He emphasized that martyrdom is a very holy concept where one sacrifices his life in defense of the faith. He considered those who strap explosives to their bodies and kill innocent people to be suicides. I agree. To sacrifice yourself for what you believe is noble but by taking your own life, you are not defending anything.

He also brought up another interesting concept. The Muslims, unlike Jews and Christians, don’t try to objectify God. To them, God is formless and infinite. To give God a form would be to limit Him. That makes sense. That God created man in His image may only mean that we are created as God “imagines” us.

There was no mention of nudity in Heaven although many of the artistic interpretations shown did display naked people. Personally, I think clothing in Heaven would be utterly useless. Maybe Heaven is a different experience for each of us but we won’t find out until we get there. As for me, I’m not in any hurry to find out; I think I’ll hang around here for as long as I can.

I found the following quote the other day:

“Actually, in the light of the Bible, there is no sin in nudity itself; but if a person uses the nudity for lustful or immoral purposes he has misused it, and this constitutes a sin. The Bible does not speak against nudity nor does it teach that the body is shameful. There is reference to shame in nudity, but this shame was produced in the mind of man, not by divine ordination.”
the Rev. Martin Wadestone, Nudism and Christianity (from Nudity in Ancient to Modern Cultures by Aileen Goodson)

Most of our ideas about sin, particularly “sins of the flesh,” seem to come from the minds of men trying to absolve their own guilt and shame rather than from scripture. The Church adopted those ideas a a means of controlling their congregations. In my humble opinion organized religion, particularly among Christian denominations, seems to be about power and wealth, not necessarily saving souls. I believe we are responsible for our own souls.

My ideas about God, Heaven, and religion are constantly evolving but I’m still pretty much in agreement with what I wrote then and I see no reason to change anything.

Today’s Quote: “The 2006 hurricane season is here, and if you’re a resident of Florida, you know what that means. It means you have the IQ of bean dip.” — Dave Barry

Today’s Quote: “The chief obstacle to the progress of the human race is the human race.” — Don Marquis