“Like a parachute, the mind is useless unless it is open.” We’ve all heard that before — probably read it on a Garfield poster in the fifth grade, but it’s true. And my experiences with religion are that some people use it as an excuse to be closed-minded and to take others’ opinions as their own because it’s easier than exploring for themselves.
I do not understand why it is more important to people to love their religion than to love themselves. Let me digress: Why is it that people use religion as a way to keep from getting to know themselves and what works for them?
People do this because it’s easier to love Jesus (or whomever they choose) than to learn to love themselves. It’s easier to love said religious figure than to let their fear of love go and love another person. It’s easier to think that premarital sex is wrong than to explore themselves and figure out what is right for them. It’s easier for people to say that marriage is only for a man and woman than to open their minds and keep their nose out of other people’s business, or to show hate than love — even though their religion most likely preaches the opposite, or even to hide behind the pages of a book than to form their own opinions. And, furthermore, it’s easier to absorb everything their parents feed them than to look out onto the world with their own two eyes. These things have all become the easy way out because people have learned how to use, and twist and manipulate their faith into something that it was never intended for.
Does anyone else see how this is just a huge slap in the face to one’s beliefs? I was baptized Catholic, I grew up as a Christian, and I attended an evangelical bible camp for eight years of my life, until I realized that as the years went by the people that were telling me about this awesome God were the same ones that were trying to tell me what to think about other issues.
I don’t do well being told what to think and no one should let someone hold that power over them.
Nowadays, I consider myself agnostic. I appreciate everybody’s religion, I truly find learning about religion fascinating, and I know that there is something out there bigger than myself. But I also know myself well enough to know that to put a name, face and story to that being would go against everything that I stand for.
Why isn’t the Bible’s message of acceptance more important than that of who should be able to marry whom? Why aren’t the peaceful messages of the Quran more important than the violent acts that people use the Quran to justify? Why isn’t the “everything is the property of God” passage in the Torah more important than the lives being taken in Israel over physical property? I know these are radical examples, but they are legitimate and they are real in our world.
Religion is supposed to give people a purpose; it is supposed to make one be a better person. When did being a better person start meaning to ostracize, judge and force one’s beliefs on other people? Keep an open mind; don’t use your religion as an excuse to be judgmental and hateful toward people whom are different than you — I’m almost positive that’s not what Jesus would do.
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You're a Catholic so it's not too surprising that you ended up agnostic. Take your opening quote to heart because you have a lot to learn about faith and respecting ideological differences. Best of luck in shedding the ignorance that plagues you and this article.
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Great and honest post. The bible says the true humility is the way to know God. I always wondered then how so many of the "Christian" leaders were always so smug and certain that their viewpoint of Jesus was the only correct one.
I too am a former born again Christian, who has left being the dead dogma of a dying church. When my "christian" friends ask me what happened. I tell them, I am now following Jesus, something I wasn't doing when I was in the church. They don't get this at all. But I do.
Free at last, free at last, thank God I'm free at last.
donovan
http://spiritnewsdaily.com
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Don't plug your shill here no one is interested. You turned your back on the church I can only hope you're either a Catholic or a Baptist so I don't have to care.
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What?????? He speaks correctly. If there is a God, He gave you free will......doesn't that fit in to exactly what the author of the article said?
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The authors presuppositions and generalities about people and their religious beliefs are rather puzzling; it seems the author neglects to adhere to her own advice about open-mindedness. Having a carefree and Im open for anything attitude might equate to being naive, and possibly expose one to a lot of heartache in the long run.
Also, the author states, I do not understand why it is more important to people to love their religion than to love themselves. Is it open-minded to make such an overreaching, I-understand-better-than-thou statement? Not to offend but to enlightened, it might have been better to utilize the phrase some people rather than people (as in everybody).
I appreciate the authors attempt at trying to move people towards being more accepting of others and themselves, but utilizing an attack-their-religion strategy was probably not the most prudent method of persuasion (at least she tried).
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I'm pretty sure she wasn't making a generalization, you all need to realize that. Nor attacking their religions, but simply stating to think for yourself before you take on the things that other people feed you. Stop reading so much into it.
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On the contrary, the author clearly is making a gigantic generalization because most of the religious people I know personally do not love their religion; they love God and His word, church and religious affiliations are miniscule. Further generalizing, the author states, why is it that people use religion as a way to keep from getting to know themselves and what works for them? Concomitantly, the author seems to be attacking peoples religious beliefs in a recondite way when she suggests that one should forego what religion teaches and find yourself (to lose yourself might be more factual). She seems to imply that this exploration will open up minds to same-sex marriage, pre-marital sex and the likes (find out what makes you happy and forget Gods word).
Lastly, according to Gods word, everyone has freewill and can choose to live their lives as they please, and I have no problem with people choosing same-sex marriage or pre-marital sex if that makes them happy (it seems counter to Gods word, but I will allow God to be the judge). As a believer of Gods word, my life should parallel what the word instructs, but if you are not a believer in Gods word, then the authors discourse might seem not only plausible but enticing. Personally, I pass on turning against Gods word to explore my debauchery side, and I vehemently state as false that my mind is closed because of it (lol)!
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I agree. Think for yourself before you take on the things that other people feed you. Stop reading so much into it.
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Hurray for relativism! Another college student that has had the epiphany that they need to "explore themselves", and that passing judgement on anyone/thing is always a bad thing. Well, hope she remembers that the next time someone does something that she doesnt agree with, that she doesnt have the right to judge them, because might just be exploring themselves in a way different from her. Welcome back to the 60's.
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I think it's admirable to be open about religion or most anything else. To me this means being willing to ask questions, to explore (openly, and to come to conclusions based on the open and honest research done.
With this in mind I strongly recommend the following article:
http://tool.donation-net.net/Images/Email/1097/Taqiyya_and_Islam_s_rules_of_war.pdf
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There is more hatred and ignorance in this world because of religion then there is otherwise.
More people murder in the name of god then do otherwise.
Religion is extremely misunderstood and the author is right that too many people use it as an excuse to be awful human beings.
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Well Said! The purpose of an article like this is to get individulas thinking,talking and commenting. Hers obviously worked. All the author is saying is that what works for one person, may not work for everyone. There is nothing wrong with that, can't we all just get along? If what you are doing, or believe in isn't hurting me...then I don't care, comment on it or judge you! Kudo's to Rebecca for writing it.
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Don't be thick Chris. You and I both know well that if it were not religion they would just find another institution to justify their nonsense with. Besides, vehement atheism is no less dangerous and oppressive than fundamental christians.
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Explain how I'm being thick. I stated some facts, that people started/start wars and terrorism in the name of God/Allah. I then stated that religion is misunderstood.
If this was too complicated to understan Ill spell it out for you. The author was not saying religion is evil, she was saying that too many people use religion as an excuse for hatred/prejudice/killing/etc. They justify killing by saying God told them they'd get into heaven for killing infidels, they justify denying equality to LGB's because the bible says its ok to hate those kinds of people. If the message of the bible (Be a good human) was followed, then religion is a very good way of teaching good morals, but unfortunetly it is used more often to spread hate and discrimination then it is used to spread good.
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I agree for the most part taht people need to keep an open mind. I was raised up in a Baptist church and I consider myself just a regular old christian now. I have faults and I have good points and I am not out to prove to the universe that I am more religous than anyone else or my faith or beliefs are better than any elses faith. I am at peace and even if I die today I feel in my heart that I have made the best choice concerning religion.
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My religion is Hokie football. In the offseason it is Hokie Basketball (mens) and sometimes the women's softball team. Not so much since Tincher left. My point is, Bud Foster's defense would shutout the religion team even if Jesus was the QB and Allah was RB. Even Sean Glennon could have tore up Budha's porous defense.
Let's Go!
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Cease and desist acting like a toddler and endeavor to demonstrate what being a Hokie signifies; you are in college and not pre-school. Furthermore, your sign name and your post are rather oxymoronic; you call yourself Hokie Respect and post such hokum (pathetic)!
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Wow someone didn't get the joke, Hokie 01 you see there is this concept we call humor. Humorous statements are not meant to be taken seriously it's something goofy or outrageous that makes people laugh. For more information on the subject you should check out your local Wikipedia.
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Thomas Edison: So far as the religion of the day is concerned, it is a damned fake . . . Religion is all bunk ... All bibles are man-made.
Albert Einstein: I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation.
John Stuart Mill: A large proportion of the noblest and most valuable teaching has been the work, not only of men who did not know, but of men who knew and rejected the Christian faith.
H. L. Mencken: I believe that religion, generally speaking, has been a curse to mankind.
Charles Darwin: I can hardly see how anyone ought to wish Christianity to be true; for if so the plain language of the text seems to show that the men who do not believe, and this would include my father, brother and almost all my best friends, will be everlastingly punished. And this is a damnable doctrine.
Jesse Ventura: Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers.
Sigmund Freud: Religion is comparable to a childhood neurosis.
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You forget that Einstein mathematically proved God existed.That and Jesse Ventura is a lunatic I'm not taking the opinion of a 9/11 "truther" seriously.
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First I agree about Ventura...lunatic haha
Second however, is on Einstein. It is a lengend and story about his proving God exists. And second, just because the story shows a sound logical conclusion does mean he mathematically proved it. There was no equation written that said so-so and so equals God. Stop taking a story (emphasis on story) and twisting it to suit your own needs.
He stated about cold and dark in this legend, but light and heat are real. He condtradicts himself in the story because he says Cold and Dark are things used by humans to describe feelings. Well good and evil are feelings as well. "Good" is not a physical property like light and dark.
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Just because religion says that evil is the absence of God, does not mean it is true. Evil, unlike heat/light, is not a physical property. I say evil is he absence of morals. Morals that are based in human instinct, not the absence of some magical being.
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Hey Chris I wasn't referring to that story which I will agree does sound like a story. I'm referring to Einsteins theory on the origin of the universe in which he figured out that a non created universe was impossible. Einstein proved that the God of creation exists.
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Apologies, that is usually what people refer to. Im not famliar with the details of that theory ill read up and get back to you.
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Einstein's proof of God is neither a proof nor Einstein's. It's illogical in the first place and also an urban legend that first appeared on the internet a few years ago, as an update to an older story that did not attribute to Einstein. See http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/religion/a/einstein_god.htm. If you don't think it's a legend, provide legitimate documentation.
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Hey YoudBestBelieve I'm not talking about that story. I'm referring to Einstein's theory on the origin of the universe in which he proved that God exists.
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